noun
stoker
STOH-kuh
Stoker (noun) means a person who tends a fire or furnace, especially on a steamship or steam train. Example: “The stoker shoveled coal into the ship's boiler all night.”
noun
1
A person who tends a fire or furnace, especially on a steamship or steam train.
"He held strongly to the black-ganger's philosophy - what is the use of all the radar and guns and torpedoes if you don't have the engineers and stokers to put them in the right position?"
— J.E. Macdonnell, Escort Ship (1960)
"The stoker shoveled coal into the ship's boiler all night."
How to use stoker
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone whose job is feeding fuel into a furnace, especially on old steam-powered ships and trains.
Common pairings
the ship's stoker
a coal stoker
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Word forms
- Plural
- stokers
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The _____ shoveled coal into the ship's boiler all night.
Etymology
From Middle Dutch stoker, "one who pokes or stokes," from stoken, "to stoke."
Synonyms
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Rhymes for stoker
See all rhymes for stoker →Frequently asked questions
What does “stoker” mean?
The word “stoker” means a person who tends a fire or furnace, especially on a steamship or steam train. In plain terms, someone whose job is feeding fuel into a furnace, especially on old steam-powered ships and trains.
How do you pronounce “stoker”?
“Stoker” is pronounced STOH-kuh (/ˈstoʊkɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “stoker” in a sentence?
Here is “stoker” used in a sentence: “The stoker shoveled coal into the ship's boiler all night.”
What part of speech is “stoker”?
“Stoker” is a noun.
Where does the word “stoker” come from?
The word “stoker” comes from Dutch. From Middle Dutch stoker, "one who pokes or stokes," from stoken, "to stoke.".
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