Fire exit: Meaning, Usage & Examples

Meaning 1：Emergency exit (Fire exit)

Fire exit 🔊

/ˈfaɪər ˈeksɪt/

A special door or way out of a building that you use only when there is a fire.

Fire exit sign with green arrow pointing to door

Emergency exit 🔊

➕

/ɪˈmɜːrdʒənsi ˈeksɪt/

A designated door or passage in a building used specifically for escape during a fire or other emergencies.

📁 Category：Buildings & Places 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Compound of 'fire' (from Old English fyr) and 'exit' (from Latin exire, 'to go out').

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a burning building: the 'fire' you flee from and the 'exit' you flee through.

📖 Example

When the fire alarm sounded, everyone calmly walked to the nearest fire exit. 🔊 When the fire alarm sounded, everyone calmly walked to the nearest fire exit.

🔗 Collocations

use the fire exit – use the fire exit

block the fire exit – block the fire exit

fire exit sign – fire exit sign

🔄 Synonyms

emergency exit (n.) – A special door used for leaving a building quickly in an emergency.

escape door (n.) – A door designed to allow people to leave a dangerous area.

fire door (n.) – A door that resists fire and prevents it from spreading, often also used as an exit.

🚫 Antonyms

main entrance (n.) – The primary door used for entering a building under normal conditions.

🌱 Derivatives

fire-escape (n.) – A metal staircase outside a building for emergency exit.

exiting (n.) – The action of leaving a place.

📖 Cultural Story

Modern fire safety regulations require clearly marked exits in buildings. The iconic green 'EXIT' sign with a running man symbol became standard after the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.