fire alarm
31
1.0
- noun
- /ˈfaɪər əˈlɑːrm/
:
alarma de incendio
- Fire alarms, as well as fire extinguishers, should be made readily available in the home.
- pull the fire alarm
- set off the fire alarm
- fire alarm sounds
I cried in second grade about the fire alarm ringing and I fell out of my chair.
- I cried in second grade about the fire alarm ringing and I fell out of my chair.
- It's about why children should never, you know, rig the fire alarm or things like that, right?
- Most of the time it's just some squad just pull in the fire alarm for a prank.
- And I guess we have the world's most sensitive fire alarms.
- And he was like, OK, that sounds like a fire alarm.
- And I'm the new guy who's just like, hey, sorry for setting off your fire alarm.
- So I'm treating myself to a day of wearing sweatpants and refurbishing this old fire alarm.
- So now in my mind, I'm like, oh, fuck, someone needs to come reset this fire alarm.
- And I put a, a cheese and onion, empty packet of cheese and onion crisps over the, the fire alarm.
- And it was the smells, the, the sounds of the fire alarms, the smoke, the haze, the smells of death and western dress.
- I mean, I never saw a place clear out like a fire alarm was going off, but the college students were staying and they were howling with laughter.
Examples
-
And then the fire alarm went off, so everyone went outside.
-
The funny thing is today the fire alarms were going off like mad in my building.
-
There seems to be a fire alarm on M.S. One.
-
Now we have broken the glass of the fire alarm and have nothing to do but wait.
Academic text (2000) -
During the night, the fire alarm went off.
Fiction book (1999) -
Elevators are out of commission because of the fire alarm.
Fiction book (1995) -
Now the fire alarm is blaring in addition to the other alarm.
Fiction book (1993) -
Tampering with a fire alarm is a federal offense.
-
If the fire alarm should go off, we will all be asked to leave the committee room and staff will advise you on which exit to use when you're leaving the building.
-
When the fire alarm rang, everyone evacuated the building quickly and safely.
Synonyms
842
1.0
A device that makes a loud sound to warn or wake people
259
2.9
A machine that makes a loud wailing sound to warn people
104
1.0
A small machine that makes a low, repeating sound to tell people something
36
2.5
A group of devices that warns you automatically about danger like fire or a break-in
13
2.2
A device that makes a loud noise when it finds smoke to warn people
7
2.2
A bell that rings to warn people of danger or an emergency
5
3.2
A loud sound or flashing light that tells people there is danger
2
2.0
A bell that rings to warn people about a fire
1
3.7
A tool that makes a loud sound or bright light to tell people there is danger
1
3.7
A sign that something dangerous may happen
1
3.5
A sign that tells people about a possible problem
A bell or loud sound that warns people of danger
A person or machine that warns people about danger and problems
How Loud
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'fire' (burning/smoke) + 'alarm' (a warning device), so a learner who knows both words will readily infer it denotes a device or signal warning about fire. This kind of compound noun is common in English and many languages, making it transparently interpretable by a B1 learner.
Etymology
Fire alarm comes from the simple idea of a warning for a real fire: long ago people used a bell, horn, or someone shouting fire to warn others and make an 'alarm'. That's why today a fire alarm is a device or sound that tells people there is a fire.