to beit an alarm
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To give notice of danger by beat of drum. To beat a retreat (Fr. battre en retraite); to beat to arms; to beat a charge. Military terms similar to the above.
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 “to beit an alarm” mean?
To give notice of danger by beat of drum. To beat a retreat (Fr. battre en retraite); to beat to arms; to beat a charge. Military terms similar to the above.
Is “to beit an alarm” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.