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Police vs Fireman - What's the difference?

police | fireman |

As nouns the difference between police and fireman

is that police is policy (contract of insurance) while fireman is (firefighting) someone (implied male) who is skilled in the work of fighting fire.

police

English

Noun

(-)
  • A civil force granted the legal authority for law enforcement and maintain public order.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=18 citation , passage=‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police […]? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?}}
  • * {{quote-book, 2006, David Simon, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, page=440 citation
  • , passage=This time it is the worst kind of call a murder police can get.}}
  • (obsolete) Policy.
  • (obsolete) Communal living; civilization.
  • * 2002 , , The Greta Nation , Penguin 2003, p. 218:
  • The notion of ‘police ’ – that is, rational administration – was seen as a historical force which could bring civilized improvement to societies.

    Synonyms

    * the cobblers, the fuzz, pigs]], , bobbies, peelers, woodentops (qualifier), [[6-up, the law

    Derived terms

    * chief of police * police box * police brutality * police captain * police car * police chief * police commissioner * police constable * police department * police detective * police dog * police force * police headquarters * police jury * police lieutenant * policeman * police officer * police precinct * police protection * police record * police sergeant * police service * police squad * police state * police station * police van * police wagon * policewoman

    Verb

    (polic)
  • To enforce the law and keep order among (a group).
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=May 24, author=Nathan Rabin, work=The Onion AV Club
  • , title= Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3 , passage=Smith returns in Men In Black 3 as a veteran agent of a secret organization dedicated to policing the earth’s many extraterrestrials. }}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-10, volume=408, issue=8848, magazine=(The Economist), author=Schumpeter
  • , title= Cronies and capitols , passage=Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have every right to lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector. Governments have to find the best people to fill important jobs: there is a limited supply of people who understand the financial system, for example.}}
  • To patrol an area.
  • * 2006 , , Hundred-Dollar Baby , Putnam, ISBN 0399153764, page 275,
  • "Fire off several rounds in a residential building and stop to police the brass?"
    1000 English basic words ----

    fireman

    Noun

    (firemen)
  • (firefighting) Someone (implied male) who is skilled in the work of fighting fire.
  • (rail transport) A man who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler (originally, shoveling coal by hand), particularly on a railroad locomotive.
  • * ca. 1913 The wreck of Old 97 [ballad, Blue Ridge Mountains], verse 3:
  • He looked around his cab at his black greasy fireman, saying 'shovel on a little more coal, and when we cross that White Oak Mountain, you can watch Old 97 roll'.
  • (rail transport) By extension of the above, an assistant on any locomotive, whether steam-powered or not.
  • (baseball) A relief pitcher.
  • Usage notes

    Historically meant only a man, now used to refer to female firefighters as well. In modern usage, the gender-inclusive term firefighter is generally preferred.

    Antonyms

    * firewoman

    Hypernyms

    * firefighter * smoke eater

    See also

    * tillerman * stoker English nouns with irregular plurals