English → Latin
“fire-engine” in Latin
sīphōa siphon or tube; a fire enginehamaa water-bucket or pail (especially one for extinguishing fires), a firebuckethāmusA hook; A fishhook; The barb of an arrowdolābrapickaxecentōA garment of several pieces sewed together; a patchwork; A cap worn under the helmetscālaladder; stairs (flight of steps)scōpabranch of a plant; broom, besomacētumvinegar; wit, shrewdness
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
fire-engine
sipho (Vid: Plin., Ep., 16, 35 [42], 2). ☞ The various machines or instruments used by the ancients at a fire were the following: the sipho, as above; the hama (fire-bucket); the hamus (fire-hook); the dolabra (pike); cento (rags); the scalae (ladder); scopae (broom); besides this, acetum (vinegar, to soak the rags in). The engines, or instruments in general for the above purpose, instrumenta ad incendia compescenda, Plin., Ep., 10, 35 [42, 2]: subsidia reprimendis ignibus (according to Tac., Ann., 15, 43, 4).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for fire-engine?
- The usual Latin words for “fire-engine” are sīphō, hama, hāmus; also dolābra, centō, scāla. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.