What does "fire escape" mean?

Any of the series of emergency doors, ladders, or stairs used to evacuate a building if a fire breaks out.

What is a synonym for "fire escape"?

Common synonyms include: back stairs, bolt hole, bolt-hole, companion, companionway, ejection seat.

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
Any of the series of emergency doors, ladders, or stairs used to evacuate a building if a fire breaks out.
"Eight ladies with Ugandan associations had ascended the fire escape and were making their way through his room."
2
a stairway (often on the outside of a building) that permits exit in the case of fire or other emergency wordnet
3
The entire escape route viewed as a whole.
4
Any apparatus designed to allow people to escape a burning building, such as a canvas tube for sliding down. historical

"Eight ladies with Ugandan associations had ascended the fire escape and were making their way through his room."