fired
UK: faɪəd | US: faɪərd
adj. dismissed from a job
v. past tense and past participle of "fire" (to discharge a weapon or terminate employment)
The word "fired" originates from the Old English "fȳr" (fire), which referred to combustion or burning. By the 16th century, "fire" extended metaphorically to mean "discharge a weapon" (as in igniting gunpowder). By the 19th century, it further evolved in colloquial usage to mean "dismiss from employment," likely drawing from the abruptness of being "let go" akin to a weapon's discharge. The suffix "-ed" marks it as a past tense verb or adjective.
She was fired after missing too many workdays.
The soldier fired his rifle at the target.
The manager fired three employees last week.
He felt devastated when he got fired unexpectedly.
The cannon fired with a deafening roar.