A bucket brigade is a method of firefighting that involves a line of people passing buckets of water from a water source to the site of a fire. This method has been used for centuries and has been adapted for other purposes as well. In this article, we will explore the definition, origin, and various associations of the term “bucket brigade.”
Definitions
A bucket brigade is a group of people who pass buckets of water from one person to the next in order to put out a fire. The term can also refer to any process that involves passing an item from one person to another in a chain-like fashion.
Origin
The term “bucket brigade” originated from the practice of using buckets to fight fires before the invention of modern firefighting equipment. It was a common practice in the 18th and 19th centuries, where a group of people would form a line between a water source and the fire, passing buckets of water along the line to douse the flames.
Meaning in different dictionaries
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a bucket brigade is “a line of people passing buckets of water from a source to a fire.” Merriam-Webster defines it as “a line of people passing buckets from hand to hand in order to extinguish a fire.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as “a group of people who pass things quickly from one to another.”
Associations
The term “bucket brigade” is often associated with firefighting, but it can also be used in other contexts. For example, it can refer to a group of people passing items in a factory assembly line or a group of volunteers passing sandbags to build a flood barrier.
Synonyms
Some synonyms for bucket brigade include chain gang, relay team, and human conveyor belt.
Antonyms
There are no direct antonyms for bucket brigade, but the term can be contrasted with modern firefighting techniques that use hoses and pumps instead of buckets.
The same root words
The word “bucket” comes from the Old English word “buc,” which means “pitcher” or “container.” The word “brigade” comes from the French word “brigade,” which means “a group of soldiers.”
Example Sentences
- The firefighters formed a bucket brigade to put out the fire.
- The factory workers formed a bucket brigade to pass parts down the assembly line.
- The volunteers formed a bucket brigade to fill sandbags and protect the town from flooding.