Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Alarm

A-larm′

(ȧ-lärm′)
,
Noun.
[F.
alarme
, It.
all’ arme
to arms ! fr. L.
arma
, pl., arms. See
Arms
, and cf.
Alarum
.]
1.
A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy.
Arming to answer in a night
alarm
.
Shakespeare
2.
Any sound or information intended to give notice of approaching danger; a warning sound to arouse attention; a warning of danger.
Sound an
alarm
in my holy mountain.
Joel ii. 1.
3.
A sudden attack; disturbance; broil.
[R.]
“These home alarms.”
Shak.
Thy palace fill with insults and
alarms
.
Pope.
4.
Sudden surprise with fear or terror excited by apprehension of danger; in the military use, commonly, sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise.
Alarm
and resentment spread throughout the camp.
Macaulay.
5.
A mechanical contrivance for awaking persons from sleep, or rousing their attention; an alarum.
Alarm bell
,
a bell that gives notice on danger.
–
Alarm clock
or
watch
,
a clock or watch which can be so set as to ring or strike loudly at a prearranged hour, to wake from sleep, or excite attention.
–
Alarm gauge
,
a contrivance attached to a steam boiler for showing when the pressure of steam is too high, or the water in the boiler too low.
–
Alarm post
,
a place to which troops are to repair in case of an alarm.
Syn. – Fright; affright; terror; trepidation; apprehension; consternation; dismay; agitation; disquiet; disquietude.
–
Alarm
,
Fright
,
Terror
,
Consternation
. These words express different degrees of fear at the approach of danger. Fright is fear suddenly excited, producing confusion of the senses, and hence it is unreflecting. Alarm is the hurried agitation of feeling which springs from a sense of immediate and extreme exposure. Terror is agitating and excessive fear, which usually benumbs the faculties. Consternation is overwhelming fear, and carries a notion of powerlessness and amazement. Alarm agitates the feelings; terror disorders the understanding and affects the will; fright seizes on and confuses the sense; consternation takes possession of the soul, and subdues its faculties. See
Apprehension
.

A-larm′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Alarmed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Alarming
.]
[
Alarm
, n. Cf. F.
alarmer
.]
1.
To call to arms for defense; to give notice to (any one) of approaching danger; to rouse to vigilance and action; to put on the alert.
2.
To keep in excitement; to disturb.
3.
To surprise with apprehension of danger; to fill with anxiety in regard to threatening evil; to excite with sudden fear.
Alarmed
by rumors of military preparation.
Macaulay.

Webster 1828 Edition

Alarm

AL'ARM

,
Noun.
1.
Any sound, outcry or information intended to give notice of approaching danger as, to sound an alarm.
2.
A summon to arms.
3.
Sudden surprise with fear or terror; as, the fire or the enemy excited an alarm.
4.
Terror; a sensation excited by an apprehension of danger, from whatever cause; as, we felt an alarm at the cry of fire.
5.
In fencing, an appeal or challenge.

Definition 2024

Alarm

Alarm

See also: alarm

German

Noun

Alarm m ‎(genitive Alarms, plural Alarme)

  1. alert, alarm

Declension

Derived terms

alarm

alarm

See also: Alarm

English

Alternative forms

Noun

alarm ‎(countable and uncountable, plural alarms)

  1. A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy.
    Arming to answer in a night alarm. --Shakespeare.
  2. Any sound or information intended to give notice of approaching danger; a warning sound to arouse attention; a warning of danger.
    Sound an alarm in my holy mountain. --Joel ii. 1.
    • 1859, Charles Dickens, The Haunted House
      She went about the house in a state of real terror, and yet lied monstrously and wilfully, and invented many of the alarms she spread, and made many of the sounds we heard.
  3. A sudden attack; disturbance.
    • Shakespeare
      these home alarms
    • Alexander Pope
      thy palace fill with insults and alarms
  4. Sudden surprise with fear or terror excited by apprehension of danger; in the military use, commonly, sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise.
    Alarm and resentment spread throughout the camp. --Thomas Babington Macaulay.
  5. A mechanical device for awaking people, or rousing their attention.
    The clockradio is a friendlier version of the cold alarm by the bedside
  6. An instance of an alarm ringing, beeping or clanging, to give a noise signal at a certain time.
    You should set the alarm on your watch to go off at seven o'clock.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Verb

alarm ‎(third-person singular simple present alarms, present participle alarming, simple past and past participle alarmed)

  1. (transitive) To call to arms for defense
  2. (transitive) To give (someone) notice of approaching danger
  3. (transitive) To rouse to vigilance and action; to put on the alert.
  4. (transitive) To surprise with apprehension of danger; to fill with anxiety in regard to threatening evil; to excite with sudden fear.
  5. (transitive) To keep in excitement; to disturb.

Derived terms

Translations

References

  • alarm in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Anagrams

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -ɑrm

Noun

alarm n ‎(plural alarmen, diminutive alarmpje n)

  1. alarm

Related terms

Anagrams

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Italian all' arme (to arms) and allarme, via French alarme

Noun

alarm m ‎(definite singular alarmen, indefinite plural alarmer, definite plural alarmene)

  1. an alarm

Derived terms

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Italian all' arme (to arms) and allarme, via French alarme

Noun

alarm m ‎(definite singular alarmen, indefinite plural alarmar, definite plural alarmane)

  1. an alarm

Derived terms

References

Polish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈalarm/

Etymology

From Italian all' arme! (to arms).[1]

Noun

alarm m inan

  1. alarm
  2. The state of being alerted

Declension

Derived terms

  • alarmowy
  • alarmować

References

  1. ↑ Brückner, Aleksander (1927), “alarm”, in Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego (in Polish): “z włosk. all’ arme! ‘do broni’”

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From French alarme.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ǎlarm/
  • Hyphenation: a‧larm

Noun

àlarm m ‎(Cyrillic spelling а̀ларм)

  1. alarm

Declension

References

  • “alarm” in Hrvatski jezični portal

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /aˈlaʁm/

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