Word of the Day
10 August 2026
bakehead
A fireman (person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler on a railroad locomotive).
Why this one
A fireman on a steam locomotive. Footplate slang, affectionate and completely accurate about the working conditions.
In use
Forty years on the railroad and he started out as a bakehead, shovelling coal on the night freight.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.Sources
- Definition sourceWiktionary
- Supporting sourceBakeheadMerriam-Webster