Lexic.us

Definition of Alarm

1. Noun. Fear resulting from the awareness of danger.

2. Verb. Fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly surprised. "The bad news will alarm him"; "The news of the executions horrified us"

3. Noun. A device that signals the occurrence of some undesirable event.

4. Verb. Warn or arouse to a sense of danger or call to a state of preparedness. "We alerted the new neighbors to the high rate of burglaries"

5. Noun. An automatic signal (usually a sound) warning of danger.

6. Noun. A clock that wakes a sleeper at some preset time.

Definition of Alarm

1. n. A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy.

2. v. t. 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.

Definition of Alarm

1. Noun. A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy. ¹

2. Noun. Any sound or information intended to give notice of approaching danger; a warning sound to arouse attention; a warning of danger. ¹

3. Noun. Sudden surprise with fear or terror excited by apprehension of danger; in the military use, commonly, sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise. ¹

4. Noun. A mechanical device for awaking people, or rousing their attention. ¹

5. Noun. An instance of an alarum ringing or clanging, to give a noise signal at a certain time. ¹

6. Verb. To call to arms for defense ¹

7. Verb. To give (someone) notice of approaching danger ¹

8. Verb. To rouse to vigilance and action; to put on the alert. ¹

9. Verb. To surprise with apprehension of danger; to fill with anxiety in regard to threatening evil; to excite with sudden fear. ¹

10. Verb. To keep in excitement; to disturb. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Alarm

1. to frighten by a sudden revelation of danger [v -ED, -ING, -S]

Medical Definition of Alarm

1. 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 warming sound to arouse attention; a warning of danger. "Sound an alarm in my holy mountain." (Joel II. 1) 3. A sudden attack; disturbance; broil. "These home alarms." "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. 6. 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. 7. To keep in excitement; to disturb. 8. 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) Synonym: 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. Origin: F. Alarme, alarmer. It. All' arme to arms ! fr. L. Arma, pl, arms. See Arms, and cf. Alarum. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Alarm

alaps alar alar artery of nose alar canal alar canals alar chest alar folds alar foramen alar foramens alar lamina of neural tube

alar ligaments alar part of nasalis muscle alar plate of neural tube alar process alar spine alarm (current term) alarm-bell alarm bell alarm clock alarm clocks

alarm reaction alarm substance alarm system alarm systems alarmable alarmclock alarmed alarmedly alarmer alarmers

Literary usage of Alarm

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Documentary History of Reconstruction: Political, Military, Social by Walter Lynwood Fleming (1907)
"alarm among the Whites Mississippi Election of 1875, p. 1701. Statement of General Garnett Andrews. [1875] I WILL state that from this period up to the ..."

2. Southern History of the War: The First Year of the War by Edward Alfred Pollard (1864)
"The alarm of the North.—Gen. Lee's object in the Invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania. ... Anxiety and alarm in Richmond—Lee's sac Retreat into Virginia. ..."

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