Meanings
nounfire alarm (plural fire alarms)
plural fire alarms
- An electromechanical or electronic bell, klaxon, chime, horn, speaker, strobe light or other device which warns people in a building etc. of a possible fire or other condition requiring evacuation.
Should the automatic fire alarm sound, the gas from the [carbon dioxide] bottles may be released in the engine compartment by operating a pull handle in the driver's cab.
1958 June 28, “Main-Line Diesel-Electric Locomotives for the Eastern Region”, in Railway Magazine, page 395 - The sound or other warning made by a fire alarm.
- firefightingAn emergency response to a fire by the fire department with manpower and equipment.
A four fire-alarm fire ripped through a row of 2.5 story frame dwellings during the early morning hours
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan alarm that is tripped off by fire or smoke
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Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 火災報警器 /火灾报警器, 火警
- 火災報警器 /火灾报警器 (huǒzāi bàojǐngqì)device which warns people of a possible fire
- 火警 (huǒjǐng)device which warns people of a possible fire
- 火災警報 /火灾警报 (huǒzāi jǐngbào)sound or other warning made by a fire alarm
- 消防出動 /消防出动 (xiāofáng chūdòng)response to a fire by the fire department
- 火警出勤 (huǒjǐng chūqín)response to a fire by the fire department
Danish brandalarm, brandalarm
- brandalarmdevice which warns people of a possible fire
- brandalarmsound or other warning made by a fire alarm
- brandudrykningresponse to a fire by the fire department
- udrykningresponse to a fire by the fire department
Dutch brandalarm, brandmelder
- brandalarmdevice which warns people of a possible fire
- brandmelderdevice which warns people of a possible fire
- brandscheldevice which warns people of a possible fire
- brandalarmsound or other warning made by a fire alarm
Finnish palohälytin, palovaroitin
- palohälytindevice which warns people of a possible fire
- palovaroitindevice which warns people of a possible fire
- palohälytyssound or other warning made by a fire alarm
- hälytysresponse to a fire by the fire department
French alarme incendie, avertisseur d'incendie
- alarme incendiedevice which warns people of a possible fire
- avertisseur d'incendiedevice which warns people of a possible fire
- alarme incendiesound or other warning made by a fire alarm
German Feueralarm, Feuermelder
- Feueralarmdevice which warns people of a possible fire
- Feuermelderdevice which warns people of a possible fire
Greek συναγερμός πυρκαγιάς
- συναγερμός πυρκαγιάς (synagermós pyrkagiás)device which warns people of a possible fire
Hungarian tűzjelző
- tűzjelződevice which warns people of a possible fire
Icelandic brunaboði
- brunaboðidevice which warns people of a possible fire
Irish aláram dóiteáin, rabhadh dóiteáin
- aláram dóiteáindevice which warns people of a possible fire
- rabhadh dóiteáinsound or other warning made by a fire alarm
Italian allarme antincendio
- allarme antincendiodevice which warns people of a possible fire
Japanese 火災報知機, 火災報知器
- 火災報知機device which warns people of a possible fire
- 火災報知器 (kasai hōchiki)device which warns people of a possible fire
- 火災警報機device which warns people of a possible fire
- 火災警報器 (kasai keihōki)device which warns people of a possible fire
- 火災警報 (kasai keihō)sound or other warning made by a fire alarm
- 火災警報 (kasai keihō)response to a fire by the fire department
Korean 화재경보기, 화재경보
- 화재경보기 (hwajaegyeongbogi)device which warns people of a possible fire
- 화재경보 (hwajaegyeongbo)sound or other warning made by a fire alarm
- 화재경보 (hwajaegyeongbo)response to a fire by the fire department
Malay penggera kebakaran
- penggera kebakarandevice which warns people of a possible fire
Norwegian brannalarm, brannutrykning
- brannalarmsound or other warning made by a fire alarm
- brannutrykningresponse to a fire by the fire department
Norwegian Bokmål brannalarm
- brannalarmdevice which warns people of a possible fire
Portuguese alarme de incêndio, alarme de incêndio
- alarme de incêndiodevice which warns people of a possible fire
- alarme de incêndiosound or other warning made by a fire alarm
Russian пожа́рная трево́га
- пожа́рная трево́га (požárnaja trevóga)device which warns people of a possible fire
Spanish alarma de incendios, alarma anti-incendio
- alarma de incendiosdevice which warns people of a possible fire
- alarma anti-incendiodevice which warns people of a possible fire
- alarma antiincendios / contraincendiosdevice which warns people of a possible fire
Swedish brandlarm, brandlarm
- brandlarmdevice which warns people of a possible fire
- brandlarmsound or other warning made by a fire alarm
- brandkårsutryckningresponse to a fire by the fire department
Tagalog alarma sa usok
- alarma sa usokdevice which warns people of a possible fire
Vietnamese thiết bị báo cháy
- thiết bị báo cháydevice which warns people of a possible fire
Cite this entry
APA
fire alarm. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fire%20alarm
MLA
“fire alarm.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fire%20alarm. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fire alarm,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fire%20alarm.
Source: fire alarm on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.