[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

alarm \alarm"\ .alaumrm", n. f. alarme, it. all' arme
   to arms  fr. l. arma, pl., arms. see arms, and cf.
   alarum.
   1. a summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy.
      1913 webster

            arming to answer in a night alarm.    --shak.
      1913 webster

   2. any sound or information intended to give notice of
      approaching danger; a warning sound to arouse attention; a
      warning of danger.
      1913 webster

            sound an alarm in my holy mountain.   --joel ii. 1.
      1913 webster

   3. a sudden attack; disturbance; broil. r. "these home
      alarms." --shak.
      1913 webster

            thy palace fill with insults and alarms. --pope.
      1913 webster

   4. sudden surprise with fear or terror excited by
      apprehension of danger; in the military use, commonly,
      sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise.
      1913 webster

            alarm and resentment spread throughout the camp.
                                                  --macaulay.
      1913 webster

   5. a mechanical contrivance for awaking persons from sleep,
      or rousing their attention; an alarum.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster

   syn: fright; affright; terror; trepidation; apprehension;
        consternation; dismay; agitation; disquiet; disquietude.

   usage: 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.
          1913 webster
see also:
arms alarum alarm bell alarm clock watch alarm gauge 
alarm post alarm fright terror consternation 
apprehension 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

alarm \alarm"\, v. t. imp.  p. p. alarmed; p. pr.  vb. n.
   alarming. alarm, n. cf. f. alarmer.
   1. 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.
      1913 webster

   2. to keep in excitement; to disturb.
      1913 webster

   3. to surprise with apprehension of danger; to fill with
      anxiety in regard to threatening evil; to excite with
      sudden fear.
      1913 webster

            alarmed by rumors of military preparation.
                                                  --macaulay.
      1913 webster
see also:
alarmed alarming 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

alarm
     n 1: fear resulting from the awareness of danger syn: dismay,
          consternation
     2: a device that signals the occurrence of some undesirable
        event syn: warning device, alarm system
     3: an automatic signal usually a sound warning of danger
        syn: alert, warning signal, alarum
     4: a clock that wakes sleeper at preset time syn: alarm clock
     v 1: 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" syn: dismay, appal, appall, horrify
     2: 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" syn: alert
see also:
dismay consternation warning device alarm system alert warning signal 
alarum alarm clock appal appall horrify 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

177 moby thesaurus words for "alarm":
   angelus, angelus bell, roman candle, abject fear, admonishment,
   admonition, affright, aid to navigation, alarum, alert, amaze,
   amber light, anxiety, apprehension, arouse, astonish, awe,
   balefire, battle cry, beacon, beacon fire, bell, bell buoy,
   birdcall, blinker, blue funk, blue peter, bugle call, buoy, call,
   caution, caution light, caveat, cold feet, consternation,
   cowardice, cry havoc, cry wolf, curdle the blood, daunt,
   deterrent example, discomfort, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturb,
   dread, example, excitement, fear, final notice, final warning,
   flare, fly storm warnings, fog bell, fog signal, fog whistle,
   foghorn, forewarning, fright, frighten, funk, glance, go light,
   gong, gong buoy, green light, heliograph, high sign, hint, horn,
   horrification, horripilate, horror, international alphabet flag,
   international numeral pennant, kick, last post, leer, lesson,
   make one tremble, marker beacon, monition, moose call, moral,
   nervousness, nod, notice, notification, nudge, object lesson,
   panic, panic fear, parachute flare, phobia, pilot flag, poke,
   police whistle, prenotice, quarantine flag, radio beacon,
   raise apprehensions, rallying cry, rebel yell, red flag, red light,
   reveille, rocket, sailing aid, scare, semaphore, semaphore flag,
   semaphore telegraph, shake, sign, signal, signal beacon,
   signal bell, signal fire, signal flag, signal gong, signal gun,
   signal lamp, signal light, signal mast, signal post, signal rocket,
   signal shot, signal siren, signal tower, siren, sound the alarm,
   sound the tocsin, spar buoy, spook, stagger, stampede, startle,
   stop light, strain, stress, summons, surprise, taps, tension,
   terrify, terror, terrorize, the nod, the wink, threat, tip-off,
   tocsin, touch, traffic light, traffic signal, trepidation,
   trumpet call, ultimatum, uneasiness, unholy dread, unman, unnerve,
   unstring, upset, verbum sapienti, war cry, warn, warning,
   warning piece, watch fire, whistle, white flag, wigwag,
   wigwag flag, wink, yellow flag

[5] : Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary

alarm
   a particular quivering sound of the silver trumpets to give
   warning to the hebrews on their journey through the wilderness
   num. 10:5, 6, a call to arms, or a war-note jer. 4:19; 49:2;
   zeph. 1:16.
   

Alarm >> A Words
Alarm, definition of term: Alarm
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Alarm System >> A Words
Alarm System, definition of term: Alarm System
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