alarum

a·la·rum  (-lärm, -lr-)

n.

A warning or alarm, especially a call to arms: "This instrument called television can teach and illuminate, cautioned Edward R. Murrow, but only to the extent that its operators choose to use it.... An era later ... Murrow's alarum remains as up to date as tonight's news" (Harry F. Waters).

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[Middle English alarom, variant of alarm, alarm; see alarm.]

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alarum [əˈlærəm -ˈlɑːr- -ˈlɛər-]

n

1. Archaic an alarm, esp a call to arms

2. (Performing Arts / Theatre) (used as a stage direction, esp in Elizabethan drama) a loud disturbance or conflict (esp in the phrase alarums and excursions)

[variant of alarm]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

alarum - an automatic signal (usually a sound) warning of danger warning signal, alarm, alert torpedo - a small explosive device that is placed on a railroad track and fires when a train runs over it; the sound of the explosion warns the engineer of danger ahead signal, signaling, sign - any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message; "signals from the boat suddenly stopped" air alert - the warning signal that begins a period of preparation for an enemy air attack burglar alarm - a loud warning signal produced by a burglar alarm; "they could hear the burglar alarm a mile away" fire alarm - a shout or bell to warn that fire has broken out foghorn, fogsignal - a loud low warning signal that can be heard by fogbound ships horn - a noise made by the driver of an automobile to give warning; red flag - a flag that serves as a warning signal; "we didn't swim at the beach because the red flag was up" siren - a warning signal that is a loud wailing sound alarm bell, tocsin - the sound of an alarm (usually a bell)