Fireplug

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device installed on water mains to supply water for firefighting ; a person known for being exceptionally energetic or talkative ; a small supporting structure or post used to protect property from vehicle impact
2. An outlet connected to underground water pipes designed to aid in fire suppression efforts ; an individual characterized by high energy levels or restlessness ; a protective post placed to shield areas from accidental collisions
3. A valve assembly on a water supply system enabling firefighters to access water ; a lively or very active person often speaking rapidly ; a guard post preventing vehicle damage to structures or pedestrians

Etymology: A "fireplug" is a plain compound of "fire" and "plug," and its literal meaning is almost exactly what it sounds like. The older water systems it describes worked by sealing a large plug into a hole in the main water pipe. When a fire broke out, workers pulled the plug and drew water from the pipe, and the plug was sometimes hidden under a barrel so that it stayed clean and easy to find. The name, in other words, came from the stopper itself, not from the later hydrant design that replaced it. The word therefore records an earlier technology. Before the familiar standing hydrant with its valves and outlets, the thing that delivered water to a burning building was simply a plug in the ground, and "fireplug" kept that plain description even after the equipment changed.

Synonyms: fire hydrant, hydrant, water plug