alarmer

noun

alarm·​er

ə-ˈlär-mər

: an occurrence (such as a building fire) that triggers a specified number of alarms

—used in combination

It took 2¹/₂ hours to put out the fire, a four-alarmer that drew scores of firefighters from neighboring communities.

—Ron Devlin, Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania), 5 Oct. 2005

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!