red alert en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) A warning that indicates an emergency situation.
Another red alert last night. Lasted only five minutes, Possibly just a friendly plane with its IFF turned off.
1944 August 7, Charles A. Lindbergh, The Wartime Journals of Charles A. Lindbergh, New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, published 1970, page 898:Ninety-nine red balloons Floating in the summer sky Panic bells, it's red alert There's something here from somewhere else
1984, Nena, 99 Red Balloons (lyrics written by Kevin McAlea)
- (countable, uncountable) A state of readiness to deal with such emergency situation.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| red alerts | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Relateds
panic stations · alarums and excursions