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fire escape
noun
: a device for escape from a burning building
especially
: a metal stairway attached to the outside of a building
Examples of fire escape in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Crews placed ground ladders to fire escapes in order to help evacuate occupants from the building on South Hope Street, according to a Los Angeles Fire Department news release.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Easy access to fire escape through a hidden kitchen nook.
—Weike Wang, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
No injuries were reported, but crews had to use ground ladders to reach fire escapes and assist unhoused persons that were exiting the vacant structure.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 26 Dec. 2024
One suspect had scaled a fire escape and climbed through a window before letting in the two others, according to the New York Post and NBC 4.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 25 Nov. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1725, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near fire escape
Cite this Entry
“Fire escape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fire%20escape. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
fire escape
noun
: a stairway or ladder that provides a means of escape from a building in case of fire
More from Merriam-Webster on fire escape
Nglish: Translation of fire escape for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fire escape
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