alarm (alarm)

[Also alarum, and abbrev. larum, a form, now partly differentiated in meaning, due to rolling ther; formerly also allarm, all arme, all army; IMG:content-0458.png:[blocks in formation] I shook her breast with vague alarms. Tennyson, The Letters. 4. A warning sound; a signal for attention; an urgent call, summons, or notification. Specifically -(a) In fencing, an appeal or a challenge made by a step or stamp on the ground with the advancing foot (6) In freemasonry, a knock at the door of the lodge to give warning, as of the entrance of a candidate for initiation. 5. A self-acting contrivance of any kind used to call attention, rouse from sleep, warn of danger, etc. Such devices are made in a great variety of forms, as, for example, alarm-clocks, fog-bells, fog. whistles, and sounding or whistling buoys; bells to ind i cate changes in temperature, the opening or shutting of doors, gates, or drawers, the arrival of a given hour, the condition of telephone and telegraph-wires; signals 128 It was clear that great alarm would be excited through out Europe if either the Emperor or the Dauphin should become King of Spain. Macaulay , Mahon's Succe ion in Spain. Rip now felt a vague apprehension stealing over him; he... perceived a strange figure slowly toiling up the rocks. Irving , Rip Van Winkle. To go to bed was to lie awake of cold, with an added shudder of fright whenever a loose casement or a waving curtain chose to give you the goose-flesh. Lowell , Study Windows, p. 30. Shadows to-night Have struck more terror to the soul of Richard, Than can the substance of ten you sand soldiers. Shak ., Rich. III., v. 3. Dismay seized our soldiers, the panic spread, increased by the belief that a fresh army had come up and was entering the field. W. Ware, Zenobia, II. xiii. Conceive but for a moment the consternation which the approach of an invading army would impre on the peaceful villages in this neighbourhood. R. Hall, Reflections on War. is, exactly, the terror of ignorance surrendered to the imEach [the child and the soldier] is liable to panic, which agin at i on. Emerson, Courage. [