smoke eater

smoke eater

1. A filtration device that removes smoke particles from the air, either by electronic or chemical means. I knew my girlfriend hated the way my apartment smelled because I smoked cigarettes indoors, so I decided to install a smoke eater so she'd be more inclined to come over.

2. dated slang A firefighter, especially before the use of compressed breathing apparatuses. I never knew my granddad. He was a fire eater in New York for nearly 30 years, and he died of emphysema when he was just 55 years old.

See also: eater, smoke

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

smoke eater

n. a firefighter. A couple of off-duty smoke eaters wandered around the store doing a little shopping.

See also: eater, smoke

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.