From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Alarm \A*larm"\ ([.a]*l[aum]rm"), n. [F. alarme, It. all' arme
to arms ! fr. L. arma, pl., arms. See {Arms}, and cf.
{Alarum}.]
1. A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy.
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Arming to answer in a night alarm. --Shak.
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2. Any sound or information intended to give notice of
approaching danger; a warning sound to arouse attention; a
warning of danger.
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Sound an alarm in my holy mountain. --Joel ii. 1.
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3. A sudden attack; disturbance; broil. [R.] "These home
alarms." --Shak.
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Thy palace fill with insults and alarms. --Pope.
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4. Sudden surprise with fear or terror excited by
apprehension of danger; in the military use, commonly,
sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise.
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Alarm and resentment spread throughout the camp.
--Macaulay.
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5. A mechanical contrivance for awaking persons from sleep,
or rousing their attention; an alarum.
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{Alarm bell}, a bell that gives notice on danger.
{Alarm clock} or {watch}, a clock or watch which can be so
set as to ring or strike loudly at a prearranged hour, to
wake from sleep, or excite attention.
{Alarm gauge}, a contrivance attached to a steam boiler for
showing when the pressure of steam is too high, or the
water in the boiler too low.
{Alarm post}, a place to which troops are to repair in case
of an alarm.
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Syn: Fright; affright; terror; trepidation; apprehension;
consternation; dismay; agitation; disquiet; disquietude.
Usage: {Alarm}, {Fright}, {Terror}, {Consternation}. These
words express different degrees of fear at the
approach of danger. Fright is fear suddenly excited,
producing confusion of the senses, and hence it is
unreflecting. Alarm is the hurried agitation of
feeling which springs from a sense of immediate and
extreme exposure. Terror is agitating and excessive
fear, which usually benumbs the faculties.
Consternation is overwhelming fear, and carries a
notion of powerlessness and amazement. Alarm agitates
the feelings; terror disorders the understanding and
affects the will; fright seizes on and confuses the
sense; consternation takes possession of the soul, and
subdues its faculties. See {Apprehension}.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Clock \Clock\ (kl[o^]k), n. [AS. clucge bell; akin to D. klok
clock, bell, G. glocke, Dan. klokke, Sw. klocka, Icel. klukka
bell, LL. clocca, cloca (whence F. cloche); al perh. of
Celtic origin; cf. Ir. & Gael. clog bell, clock, W. cloch
bell. Cf. {Cloak}.]
1. A machine for measuring time, indicating the hour and
other divisions; in ordinary mechanical clocks for
domestic or office use the time is indicated on a
typically circular face or dial plate containing two
hands, pointing to numbers engraved on the periphery of
the face, thus showing the hours and minutes. The works of
a mechanical clock are moved by a weight or a spring, and
it is often so constructed as to tell the hour by the
stroke of a hammer on a bell. In electrical or electronic
clocks, the time may be indicated, as on a mechanical
clock, by hands, but may also be indicated by direct
digital readout, with the hours and minutes in normal
Arabic numerals. The readout using hands is often called
analog to distinguish it from the digital readout. Some
clocks also indicate the seconds. Clocks are not adapted,
like the watch, to be carried on the person. Specialized
clocks, such as {atomic clocks}, may be constructed on
different principles, and may have a very high precision
for use in scientific observations.
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2. A watch, esp. one that strikes. [Obs.] --Walton.
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3. The striking of a clock. [Obs.] --Dryden.
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4. A figure or figured work on the ankle or side of a
stocking. --Swift.
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Note: The phrases what o'clock? it is nine o'clock, etc., are
contracted from what of the clock? it is nine of the
clock, etc.
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{Alarm clock}. See under {Alarm}.
{Astronomical clock}.
(a) A clock of superior construction, with a compensating
pendulum, etc., to measure time with great accuracy,
for use in astronomical observatories; -- called a
regulator when used by watchmakers as a standard for
regulating timepieces.
(b) A clock with mechanism for indicating certain
astronomical phenomena, as the phases of the moon,
position of the sun in the ecliptic, equation of time,
etc.
{Electric clock}.
(a) A clock moved or regulated by electricity or
electro-magnetism.
(b) A clock connected with an electro-magnetic recording
apparatus.
{Ship's clock} (Naut.), a clock arranged to strike from one
to eight strokes, at half hourly intervals, marking the
divisions of the ship's watches.
{Sidereal clock}, an astronomical clock regulated to keep
sidereal time.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
alarm clock
n 1: a clock that wakes a sleeper at some preset time [syn:
{alarm clock}, {alarm}]
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