Definitions for alarm
əˈlɑrmalarm

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. alarm, dismay, consternationnoun

   fear resulting from the awareness of danger

2. alarm, warning device, alarm systemnoun

   a device that signals the occurrence of some undesirable event

3. alarm, alert, warning signal, alarumnoun

   an automatic signal (usually a sound) warning of danger

4. alarm clock, alarmverb

   a clock that wakes a sleeper at some preset time

5. dismay, alarm, appal, appall, horrifyverb

   fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly surprised

   "I was horrified at the thought of being late for my interview"; "The news of the executions horrified us"

6. alarm, alertverb

   warn or arouse to a sense of danger or call to a state of preparedness

   "The empty house alarmed him"; "We alerted the new neighbors to the high rate of burglaries"

Wiktionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. alarmnoun

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

   Arming to answer in a night alarm. --Shakespeare.

2. alarmnoun

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

3. alarmnoun

   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.

4. alarmnoun

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

   The clockradio is a friendlier version of the cold alarm by the bedside

5. alarmnoun

   An instance of an alarum ringing 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.

6. alarmverb

   To call to arms for defense

7. alarmverb

   To give (someone) notice of approaching danger

8. alarmverb

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

9. alarmverb

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

10. alarmverb

    To keep in excitement; to disturb.

11. Etymology: From alarme, alarom, from alarme, itself from Old, ultimately from arma.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. ALARMnoun

   Etymology: from the French, à l'arme, to arms; as, crier à l'arme, to call to arms.

   1. A cry by which men are summoned to their arms; as, at the approach of an enemy.

   When the congregation is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm. Numbers, x. 7.

   Behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets, to cry alarms against you. 2 Chron. xiii. 12.

   The trumpets loud clangour
   Excites us to arms,
   With shrill notes of anger,
   And mortal alarms. John Dryden, Cæcilia.

   Taught by this stroke, renounce the wars alarms,
   And learn to tremble at the name of arms. Alexander Pope, Iliad.

   2. A cry, or notice, of any danger approaching; as, an alarm of fire.3. Any tumult or disturbance.

   Is it then true, as distant rumours run,
   That crowds of rivals, for thy mothers charms,
   Thy palace fill with insults and alarms. Alexander Pope, Odyss. b. iii.

2. To Alarmverb

   Etymology: from alarm, the noun.

   1. To call to arms; to disturb; as, with the approach of an enemy.

   The wasp the hive alarms
   With louder hums, and with unequal arms. Addison.

   2. To surprise with the apprehension of any danger.

   When rage misguides me, or when fear alarms,
   When pain distresses, or when pleasure charms. Thomas Tickell, on Add.

   3. To disturb in general.

   His son, Cupavo, brush’d the briny flood;
   Upon his stern a brawny Centaur stood,
   Who heav’d a rock, and threat’ning still to throw,
   With lifted hands alarm’d the seas below. John Dryden, Æneid.

Wikipedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. ALARM

   ALARM (Air Launched Anti-Radiation Missile) is a British anti-radiation missile designed primarily to destroy enemy radars for the purpose of Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). It was used by the RAF and is still used by the Royal Saudi Air Force. The weapon was retired by the UK at the end of 2013.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Alarmnoun

   a summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy

2. Alarmnoun

   any sound or information intended to give notice of approaching danger; a warning sound to arouse attention; a warning of danger

3. Alarmnoun

   a sudden attack; disturbance; broil

4. Alarmnoun

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

5. Alarmnoun

   a mechanical contrivance for awaking persons from sleep, or rousing their attention; an alarum

6. Alarmverb

   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. Alarmverb

   to keep in excitement; to disturb

8. Alarmverb

   to surprise with apprehension of danger; to fill with anxiety in regard to threatening evil; to excite with sudden fear

9. Etymology: [Alarm, n. Cf. F. alarmer.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Alarm

   a-lärm′, n. notice of danger: sudden surprise with fear: a mechanical contrivance to arouse from sleep: a call to arms.—v.t. to call to arms: to give notice of danger: to fill with dread.—adv. Alarm′ingly.—n. Alarm′ist, one who excites alarm: one given to prophesy danger.—adj. alarming. [Fr. alarme—It. all' arme, to arms—L. ad, to, arma, arms.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. alarm

   [from the Italian all'armi!] An apprehension from sudden noise or report. The drum or signal by which men are summoned to stand on their guard in time of danger.--False alarm is sometimes occasioned by a timid or negligent sentry, and at others designedly by an officer, to ascertain the promptness of his men. Sometimes false alarms are given by the enemy to harass the adversary. Old Rider defines alarm as a "watch-word shewing the neernesse of the enemies."

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. alarm

   A sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise, or the notice of such attack being actually made. It is generally signified by the discharge of fire-arms, the beat of a drum, etc.

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. alarm

   The alarm symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the alarm symbol and its characteristic.

Matched Categories

1. • Device
   • Signal
   • Warn

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'alarm' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4539

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'alarm' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3148

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'alarm' in Nouns Frequency: #1591

Anagrams for alarm »

1. malar

2. Marla

3. marla

4. ramal

5. maral

How to pronounce alarm?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say alarm in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of alarm in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of alarm in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of alarm in a Sentence

1. Author Unknown:

   Many of us have heard opportunity knocking at our door, but by the time we unhooked the chain, pushed back the bolt, turned two locks, and shuts off the burglar alarm - it was gone.

2. António Guterres:

   The climate alarm bells are also ringing at fever pitch, the recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was a code red for humanity. We see the warning signs in every continent and region -- scorching temperatures, shocking biodiversity loss, polluted air, water and natural spaces.

3. James Risch:

   Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield has been sounding the alarm on China for decades now.

4. Ronnie Rickner:

   Death is much like an alarm clock except there is never a snooze button to give you just a moment more, before you really have to wake.

5. Charles Krauthammer:

   They want the deal. They want to say, look what we've accomplished - we've stretched the breakdown from two months to a year, and also to generate alarm, to say, we have to do this, because the Iranians are so close to acquiring a bomb.

Popularity rank by frequency of use