rape alarm

noun

A portable alarm which, when activated, emits a shrill sound, alerting others that the user is in danger of rape or assault.

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Meanings

nounrape alarm (plural rape alarms)

plural rape alarms

  1. informalcriminologyA portable alarm which, when activated, emits a shrill sound, alerting others that the user is in danger of rape or assault.

Origin

From rape + alarm. First use appears c. 1977 in the Los Angeles Times.

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Cite this entry
APA

rape alarm. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rape%20alarm

MLA

“rape alarm.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rape%20alarm. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rape alarm,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rape%20alarm.

Source: rape alarm on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.