• (RP) IPA: /əˈlɑːm/
• (GA) 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: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [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.
   • ii. 1.

     Sound an alarm in my holy mountain.

3. A sudden attack; 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: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act I, scene i]:

     these home alarms

   • 1725, Homer; [Elijah Fenton], transl., “Book I”, in The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume I, London: Printed for Bernard Lintot, OCLC 8736646 ↗, page III ↗:

     thy palace fill with insults and alarms

4. Sudden surprise with fear or terror excited by apprehension of danger; in the military use, commonly, sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise.
   • 18, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 1, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify ), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, OCLC 1069526323 ↗:

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

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

6. 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
• Portuguese: despertador
• Russian: буди́льник
• Spanish: despertador

• Russian: сигна́л трево́ги
• Spanish: alarma

alarm (alarms, present participle alarming; past and past participle alarmed)

1. (transitive) To call to arms for defense
2. (transitive) To give (someone) notice of approaching danger
3. (transitive) To rouse to vigilance and action; to put 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

• Portuguese: alarmar

• German: alarmieren
• Portuguese: alarmar

• German: in Alarmstimmung versetzen