fire alarm

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noun

a signal that warns that a fire has started.

a bell, buzzer, siren, horn, etc., that provides such a signal.

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of fire alarm

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Words nearby fire alarm

fir, Firbank, Firbolg, Firdausi, fire, fire alarm, fire-and-brimstone, fire ant, fire apparatus, fire appliance, fire area

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fire alarm in a sentence

As a 14-year-old interested in cooking, I smoked out many hotel rooms and set off countless fire alarms trying to smoke fish for my family.
How to Make Smoked Trout, According to a Chef in Tasmania|Monica Burton|February 10, 2021|Eater
It is as though the fire alarm at your workplace was always blaring.
Gene Weingarten: Your call is unimportant to us|Gene Weingarten|January 7, 2021|Washington Post
After we fell asleep, the fire alarm in Debra’s studio had started going on and off randomly throughout the night.
Remembering My Friend Barry Lopez|Bob Shacochis|January 5, 2021|Outside Online
As other reviewers have previously noted, people can use Alexa for more complex tasks at home like automatically turning on Internet-connected lights if the assistant hears a fire alarm.
Here’s what Amazon’s new Echo speakers are like|jonathanvanian2015|October 22, 2020|Fortune

Scientists in Michigan have developed a forest fire alarm system.
Trees power this alarm system for remote forest fires|Stephen Ornes|October 16, 2020|Science News For Students
Here, a former student pulled a fire alarm to attract potential victims before threatening his roommate, who escaped.
This Gun Nut Says Most School Shootings Aren’t Real|Brandy Zadrozny|June 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then the gunfire ceased and the only sound was that fire alarm as Alexis seemed to vanish.
Inside the Washington Navy Yard’s Building 197 During Alexis’s Rampage|Michael Daly|September 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
That morning, I escaped from the school with my classmates at the prompting of a strobe-lighted fire alarm after shots rang out.
Columbine Survivor Liz Carlston on the Shooting’s Lessons for Aurora|Liz Carlston|July 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Jan. 5, 2009 – 10:53 p.m. Type: 911 Subject: Alarm Report: Fire alarm going off 13.
George Zimmerman’s History of 911 Calls: A Complete Log|Matthew DeLuca|March 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
June 10, 2009 – 1:55 a.m. Type: 911 Subject: Alarm Report: Fire alarm going off 16.
George Zimmerman’s History of 911 Calls: A Complete Log|Matthew DeLuca|March 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It is best not to place a switch in the fire-alarm circuit as this circuit should be in an operating condition at all times.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
The fire-alarm switch consists of two springs that are held from contact with each other by means of a thin cord.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
And Sally gives chase, and overtakes the other two just by the fire-alarm, where Fenwick came to a standstill.
Somehow Good|William de Morgan
By law, every fire escape was rigged with a fire alarm, in addition to the regular burglar alarm.
The Penal Cluster|Ivar Jorgensen (AKA Randall Garrett)
We could see the driver pop from his seat and race to the corner fire alarm box.
Cue for Quiet|Thomas L. Sherred

British Dictionary definitions for fire alarm

fire alarm

noun

a device to give warning of fire, esp a bell, siren, or hooter

a shout to warn that a fire has broken out

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

fire alarm

Origin of fire alarm

Words nearby fire alarm

Words related to fire alarm

How to use fire alarm in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fire alarm