fire alarm
Americannoun
-
a signal that warns that a fire has started.
-
a bell, buzzer, siren, horn, etc., that provides such a signal.
noun
-
a device to give warning of fire, esp a bell, siren, or hooter
-
a shout to warn that a fire has broken out
Etymology
Origin of fire alarm
An Americanism dating back to 1840–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sound-designed by David Gertsman, “undertone” is so quiet that a tea kettle sounds like a fire alarm.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026
The theft was not discovered until 29 December when another fire alarm went off at 03:58 on the Monday – and firefighters returned to the bank to find a scene of chaos.
From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026
He also claimed one of the victims "pulled the fire alarm to get help", praising the boy as "a hero".
From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026
And many told The Wall Street Journal that they never heard the building’s fire alarm, leaving them unaware of how quickly the blaze was spreading.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025
Her eyes landed on the fire alarm on the far wall, and the stringy, gray-haired woman nearby who seemed to be having a similar thought to Marigold’s.
From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
