burglar alarm

American  

noun

1. an automatic device for giving an alarm when a window, door, safe, etc., is opened or tampered with, as by a burglar.

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Etymology

Origin of burglar alarm

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

He’s jury-rigged a burglar alarm with foam so it makes a clattering sound loud enough for the neighbor’s Ring camera to pick up, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

The next morning a builder arrived to work at the house, heard the burglar alarm and looked through a window.

From BBC

Although the campus gets locked up tight, it lacks a burglar alarm, and security cameras have arrived but have not yet been installed.

From Los Angeles Times

Some use light to startle predators, “like a burglar alarm,” and others use it to lure prey, as anglerfish do, said Quattrini, who is curator of corals at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

From Seattle Times

Most modern home security systems rely on a Wi-Fi signal for burglar alarms and surveillance equipment, including doorbell cameras.

From Los Angeles Times