Part 284

<syn>Syn. -- Fright; affright; terror; trepidation; apprehension; consternation; dismay; agitation; disquiet; disquietude.</syn> <usage> -- <er>Alarm</er>, <er>Fright</er>, <er>Terror</er>, <er>Consternation</er>. These words express different degrees of fear at the approach of danger. <i>Fright</i> is fear suddenly excited, producing confusion of the senses, and hence it is unreflecting. <i>Alarm</i> is the hurried agitation of feeling which springs from a sense of immediate and extreme exposure. <i>Terror</i> is agitating and excessive fear, which usually benumbs the faculties. <i>Consternation</i> is overwhelming fear, and carries a notion of powerlessness and amazement. <i>Alarm</i> agitates the feelings; <i>terror</i> disorders the understanding and affects the will; <i>fright</i> seizes on and confuses the sense; <i>consternation</i> takes possession of the soul, and subdues its faculties. See <er>Apprehension</er>.</usage>

<h1>Alarm</h1> <Xpage=36>

<hw>A*larm"</hw>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Alarmed</er> <tt>(#)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Alarming</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[<ets>Alarm</ets>, n. Cf. F. <ets>alarmer</ets>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To call to arms for defense; to give notice to (any one) of approaching danger; to rouse to vigilance and action; to put on the alert.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To keep in excitement; to disturb.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>To surprise with apprehension of danger; to fill with anxiety in regard to threatening evil; to excite with sudden fear.</def>

<blockquote><b>Alarmed</b> by rumors of military preparation. <i>Macaulay.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Alarmable</h1> <Xpage=36>

<hw>A*larm"a*ble</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Easily alarmed or disturbed.</def>

<h1>Alarmed</h1> <Xpage=36>

<hw>A*larmed"</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Aroused to vigilance; excited by fear of approaching danger; agitated; disturbed; <as>as, an <ex>alarmed</ex> neighborhood; an <ex>alarmed</ex> modesty.</as></def>

<blockquote>The white pavilions rose and fell On the <b>alarmed</b> air. <i>Longfellow.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Alarmedly</h1> <Xpage=36>

<hw>A*larm"ed*ly</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>adv.</tt> <def>In an alarmed manner.</def>

<h1>Alarming</h1> <Xpage=36>

<hw>A*larm"ing</hw>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Exciting, or calculated to excite, alarm; causing apprehension of danger; <as>as, an <ex>alarming</ex> crisis or report</as>. -- A*larm"ing*ly, <i>adv</i>.</def>

<h1>Alarmist</h1> <Xpage=36>

<hw>A*larm"ist</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Cf. F. <ets>alarmiste</ets>.]</ety> <def>One prone to sound or excite alarms, especially, needless alarms.</def>

<i>Macaulay.</i>

<h1>Alarum</h1> <Xpage=36>

<hw>A*lar"um</hw> <tt>(?; 277)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>alarom</ets>, the same word as <ets>alarm</ets>, n.]</ety> <def>See <er>Alarm</er>.</def> <mark>[Now Poetic]</mark>

<note>&hand; The variant form <i>alarum</i> is now commonly restricted to an alarm signal or the mechanism to sound an alarm (as in an alarm clock.)</note>

<h1>Alary</h1> <Xpage=36>

<hw>Al"a*ry</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>alarius</ets>, fr. <ets>ala</ets> wing.]</ety> <def>Of or pertaining to wings; also, wing-shaped.</def>

<blockquote>The <b>alary</b> system of insects. <i>Wollaston.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Alas</h1> <Xpage=36>

<hw>A*las"</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>interj.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>alas</ets>, <ets>allas</ets>, OF. <ets>alas</ets>, F. <ets>h\'82las</ets>; <ets>a</ets> interj. (L. <ets>ah</ets>.) + <ets>las</ets> wretched (that I am), L. <ets>lassus</ets> weary, akin to E. <ets>late</ets>. See <er>Late</er>.]</ety> <def>An exclamation expressive of sorrow, pity, or apprehension of evil; -- in old writers, sometimes followed by <i>day</i> or <i>white</i>; <i>alas the day</i>, like <i>alack a day</i>, or <i>alas the white</i>.</def>

<h1>Alate</h1> <Xpage=36>

<hw>A*late"</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>adv.</tt> <ety>[Pref. <ets>a-</ets> + <ets>late</ets>.]</ety> <def>Lately; of late.</def> <mark>[Archaic]</mark>