Alarum Bell
Preserved but no longer current.
"Alarum" is a variant of "alarm," produced by rolling the "r" in prolonging the final syllable. In feudal times a 'larum bell was rung in the castle in times of danger to summon the retainers to arms.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Alarum Bell” mean?
"Alarum" is a variant of "alarm," produced by rolling the "r" in prolonging the final syllable. In feudal times a 'larum bell was rung in the castle in times of danger to summon the retainers to arms.
Is “Alarum Bell” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.