ALARM

alarm |əˈlärm| noun an anxious awareness of danger : the boat tilted and the boatmen cried out in alarm | he views the right-wing upsurge in Europe with alarm. • [in sing. ] a warning of danger : I hammered on several doors to raise the alarm | Oliver smelled smoke and gave the alarm. • a warning sound or device : a burglar alarm. • an alarm clock. verb 1 [ trans. ] cause (someone) to feel frightened, disturbed, or in danger : the government was alarmed by an outbreak of unrest | [as adj. ] ( alarming) children were dying at an alarming rate. 2 ( be alarmed) be fitted or protected with an alarm : this door is locked and alarmed between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. DERIVATIVES alarmingly adverb ORIGIN late Middle English (as an exclamation meaning [to arms!] ): from Old French alarme, from Italian allarme, from all' arme! ‘to arms!’