can man noun1 •(informal) A firefighter whose task is to haul a fire extinguisher.August 29 2002, Jim Dwyer, "How the Fire Commissioner Saw It" [book review of Strong of Heart by Thomas Von Essen], The New York Times, Mr. Feehan would reflect on the role of the "can man," the raw young firefighter assigned to haul an extinguisher up the stairs. formscan men