burglar alarmnoun [ C ]
uk/ˈbɜː.ɡlər əˌlɑːm/us/ˈbɝː.ɡlɚ əˌlɑːrm/a device on a building that gives a warning such as making a loud noise or flashing a light, or tells the police, if someone tries to enter the building illegally
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Threats & warnings
- (I) told you (so)! idiom
- (just) you wait idiom
- bell
- cautionary tale
- do you want to make something/anything of it? idiom
- early warning system
- emergency cord
- fire a (warning) shot across sb's bow idiom
- forewarn
- heads-up
- notice
- ring/sound alarm bells idiom
- siren
- slap
- sound
- tip
- tip sb off
- wake-up call
- warning
- warning/alarm bells start to ring/sound idiom
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Examples from literature
- An electric fire detector in the cellar acts much like a burglar alarm.
- He had heard it said by burglars of wide experience and unquestioned wisdom that babies were the most dangerous of all burglar alarms.
- His windows were provided with ingenious burglar alarms, his rooms with fire alarms, and he ignited his gas always by electricity.
- I'll have a burglar alarm put in at once and a telephone, too.
- They got any o' them fancy burglar alarms? asked The Hopper as he concluded his examination of her sketches.