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alarm - 8 dictionary results
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a⋅larm

  [uh-lahrm]
Use alarm in a Sentence
–noun
1. a sudden fear or distressing suspense caused by an awareness of danger; apprehension; fright.
2. any sound, outcry, or information intended to warn of approaching danger: Paul Revere raced through the countryside raising the alarm that the British were coming.
3. an automatic device that serves to call attention, to rouse from sleep, or to warn of fire, smoke, an intruder, etc.
4. a warning sound; signal for attention.
5. Animal Behavior. any sound, outcry, chemical discharge, action, or other signal that functions to draw attention to a potential predator.
6. Fencing. an appeal or a challenge made by a step or stamp on the ground with the advancing foot.
7. Archaic. a call to arms.
–verb (used with object)
8. to make fearful or apprehensive; distress.
9. to warn of danger; rouse to vigilance and swift measures for safety.
10. to fit or equip with an alarm or alarms, as for fire, smoke, or robbery: to alarm one's house and garage.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME alarme, alarom < MF < OIt allarme, n. from phrase all'arme to (the) arms. See arm 2

Related forms:
a⋅larm⋅a⋅ble, adjective
a⋅larm⋅ed⋅ly  [uh-lahr-mid-lee] , adverb

Synonyms:
1. consternation; terror, panic. See fear. 8. See frighten.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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a·larm   (ə-lärm')   
n.  
  1. A sudden fear caused by the realization of danger.
  2. A warning of existing or approaching danger.
  3. An electrical, electronic, or mechanical device that serves to warn of danger by means of a sound or signal.
  4. The sounding mechanism of an alarm clock.
  5. A call to arms.
tr.v.   a·larmed, a·larm·ing, a·larms
  1. To fill with alarm; frighten. See Synonyms at fear, frighten.
  2. To give warning to.

[Middle English, from Old French alarme, from Old Italian allarme, from all'arme, to arms : alla, to the (from Latin ad illa : ad, to; see ad- + illa, neuter pl. of ille, that, the; see al-1 in Indo-European roots) + arme, arms (from Latin arma; see ar- in Indo-European roots).]
a·larm'ing·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Alarm

A*larm"\ ([.a]*l[aum]rm"), n. [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. --Shak.

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.

Usage: 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.

Alarm

A*larm"\, v. 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's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : alarm
Spanish: alarma, susto,
German: die Besorgnis,
Japanese: 不安
More Translations »

alarm 
c.1325, from O.Fr. alarme, from It. all'arme "to arms!" (lit. "to the arms"). An interj. that came to be used as the name of the call or warning. Extended 16c. to "any sound to warn of danger or to arouse." Weakened sense of "apprehension, unease" is from 1833. Variant alarum is due to the rolling -r- in the vocalized form. The verb is 1590, from the noun. Alarmist "one addicted to sounding alarms" is from 1793.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Alarm

a particular quivering sound of the silver trumpets to give warning to the Hebrews on their journey through the wilderness (Num. 10:5, 6), a call to arms, or a war-note (Jer. 4:19; 49:2; Zeph. 1:16).

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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alarm

see false alarm.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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ALARM
air-launched antiradiation missile
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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