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Firehouse vs Wirehouse - What's the difference?

firehouse | wirehouse |

As nouns the difference between firehouse and wirehouse

is that firehouse is (dialectal) a house containing a fire; a dwelling-house, as opposed to a barn, a stable, or other outhouse or firehouse can be (us|firefighting) a fire station while wirehouse is (north america|finance) a major brokerage company, generally nationwide, with multiple branches.

firehouse

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • (dialectal) A house containing a fire; a dwelling-house, as opposed to a barn, a stable, or other outhouse.

    • Etymology 2

    From .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (US, firefighting) A fire station

    • wirehouse

    English

    Alternative forms

    * wire-house * wire house

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (North America, finance) A major brokerage company, generally nationwide, with multiple branches.
  • * 2012 , Josh Brown, “ Perhaps I’ve Been a Bit Too Harsh…]”, (Wall Street Journal) [http://blogs.wsj.com/financial-adviser/ Financial Adviser, January 25, 2012:
    • Ten years ago, the Wall Street wirehouse brokerage firm seemed unassailable – part of the very firmament underpinning the entire investment industry from coast to coast.
  • (North America, finance, obsolete) A brokerage company with a telegraph line, telephone line, or electronic communication network.
  • * 1904 , '' 18 June, 1904 (Financial Section) 1/7
  • *:The so-called ‘wire house ’ …is a product of the boom times.
  • * 1905 , The World’s work, Volume 9, Doubleday, Page & Co.:
  • *:The “market information” is more diversified than formerly, and in many ways the “wire house” can fill a place that the old-style …

    • Usage notes

    In contemporary use generally used narrowly, referring specifically to the Big 4 retail brokerage firms operating in the US: (Merrill Lynch) Wealth Management, (Morgan Stanley), (UBS), and (Wells Fargo) & Co. In looser usage, applied to any large brokerage.

    Hypernyms

    * brokerage, stockbroker

    See also

    * bucket shop

    References

    * “ Wire House (Wirehouse)]”, [http://www.barrypopik.com/ The Big Apple], [http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/comments/about_the_site_editor/ Barry Popik, November 11, 2008 * * “ Wire House]”, “[http://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/wire-house-broker.asp Wire House Broker]”, [http://www.investopedia.com/ Investopedia