noun
Refers to a person who tends a fire, especially in a boiler or furnace setting. The term is somewhat specialized and may be encountered in historical or industrial contexts.
昔の蒸気船では、缶焚きが石炭をくべて火を保っていた。
On old steamships, the stoker kept the fire going by shoveling coal.
火夫 is a more formal or technical term for a fireman or stoker, often used in official contexts. 缶焚き is a more colloquial or traditional term.
Compound of 缶 (kan, 'boiler') and 焚き (taki, 'burning' or 'stoking', from 焚く). Literally 'boiler stoker'.