firien.
/ˈfʌɪri/, U.S. /ˈfaɪri/, Australian English /ˈfɑeri/ Australian colloquial.
A firefighter.In quot. 1982: a fire marshal in motor racing.
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the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > coldness > extinguishing fire > [noun] > fire-fighting > fireman
firedrake1601
waterman1615
fireman1668
fire quencher1690
Phoenix-man1699
watering-man1791
pompier1815
firefighter1839
sapper-pumper1841
firie1982
Phoenix waterman-fireman1992
1982 Austral. Women's Weekly 29 Sept. 29/3 It's a close-knit, friendly fraternity, with a language all its own. Flag marshals are ‘flagies’, telephone communicators ‘phonies’, and fire marshals ‘firies’.
1990 Messenger-Guardian (Adelaide) (Nexis) 11 July (headline) ‘Firie’ George bids farewell to an old flame.
2002 G. McKay Firefighters i. 5 Few firefighters think that a firie has to be a particularly courageous person.
2007 Northern Territory News (Austral.) (Nexis) 21 May 8 He called the firies but could not get to the burning unit as flames were blocking the door.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2015; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1982