From Middle English alarme, alarom, borrowed from Middle French alarme, itself from roa-oit - all'arme!, ultimately from Latin arma.

• (RP) IPA: /əˈlɑːm/
• (America) IPA: /əˈlɑɹm/

alarm

1. A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy.
   • c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene iii]:

     Arming to answer in a night alarm.

2. Any sound or information intended to give notice of approaching danger; a warning sound to arouse attention; a warning of danger.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Joel 2:1 ↗:

     Sound an alarm in my holy mountain.

3. A device intended to warn or give notice of approaching danger.

   The fire alarm is located high on the wall to prevent tampering.

4. A sudden attack; a disturbance.
   • 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene i]:

     Lord Marshal, command our officers-at-arms
     Be ready to direct these home alarms.

   • 1725, Homer, “Book I”, in [Elijah Fenton], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume I, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC ↗, page III ↗:

     Is it then true, as distant rumours run,
     that crowds of rivals for thy mother's charms
     thy Palace fill with insults and alarms?

5. Sudden surprise with fear or terror excited by apprehension of danger; in the military use, commonly, sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise.
   • 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 1, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC ↗:

     Alarm and resentment spread through the camp.

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

   The clock radio is a friendlier version of the cold alarm by the bedside.

7. 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.

• French: alarme
• German: Alarm
• Italian: allarme
• Portuguese: alarme
• Russian: трево́га
• Spanish: alarma, rebato

• German: Alarm, Alarmsignal
• Italian: allarme
• Portuguese: alarme
• Russian: трево́га
• Spanish: alarma, rebato

• German: Alarmstimmung
• Portuguese: alarme
• Russian: испу́г

• French: réveille-matin, réveil
• German: Wecker
• Italian: allarme
• Portuguese: despertador
• Russian: буди́льник
• Spanish: despertador

• Russian: сигнал тревога
• Spanish: alarma

alarm (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 or necessary action; to rouse to vigilance; to put on the alert.
   • 1838, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Passage in the Secret History of an Irish Countess:

     When the carriage drew up in the grass-grown court yard before the hall-door, two lazy-looking men, whose appearance well accorded with that of the place which they tenanted, alarmed by the obstreperous barking of a great chained dog, ran out from some half-ruinous out-houses, and took charge of the horses; […]

3. (transitive, of a device) To produce a warning of approaching danger or necessary action; to emit a signal intended to rouse a recipient to vigilance or put them 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.

• Spanish: tocar a rebato

• German: Alarm schlagen (intransitive), alarmieren (transitive)
• Portuguese: alarmar

• German: alarmieren
• Portuguese: alarmar

• German: in Alarmstimmung versetzen