fire drill — A practice exercise in which people learn and rehearse the procedures for evacuating a building in case of fire
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: A practice exercise in which people learn and rehearse the procedures for evacuating a building in case of fire
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈfaɪər drɪl/
Example Sentences
- The fire drill was so realistic that some students thought it was an actual emergency and started crying.
- During the fire drill, the CEO was stuck in the elevator and had to be rescued by the maintenance team.
- All employees must participate in the quarterly fire drill as part of workplace safety regulations.
fire drill
NOUN[/ˈfaɪər drɪl/]
A practice exercise in which people learn and rehearse the procedures for evacuating a building in case of fire
The whole office evacuates during a surprise fire drill on Monday morning.
Fire drill alert: avoid the wire, safety never should tire!
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Fire derives from Old English 'fyr', cognate with Germanic languages, referring to the phenomenon of combustion. Drill originates from 17th-century Dutch 'drillen', meaning to turn or rotate, which evolved to denote repeated practice or training exercises. The compound 'fire drill' emerged from military training terminology, where repetitive drills were applied to emergency evacuation procedures.
Breakdown
fire (Old English 'fyr', combustion) + drill (Dutch 'drillen', to rotate/train). The compound combines the emergency context (fire) with the methodical repetition inherent in drill (practiced procedure).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The fire drill was so realistic that some students thought it was an actual emergency and started crying.”
“During the fire drill, the CEO was stuck in the elevator and had to be rescued by the maintenance team.”
“All employees must participate in the quarterly fire drill as part of workplace safety regulations.”
“The new employee panicked during his first fire drill and ran to the cafeteria instead of the exit.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
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