ALERT

I. adjective Etymology: Italian all'erta, on the watch, literally, on the height Date: 1618 1. watchful and prompt to meet danger or emergency, quick to perceive and act, active , brisk , see: watchful ~ly adverb ~ness noun II. noun Date: 1803 a state of careful watching and readiness especially for danger or opportunity , 2. an alarm or other signal of danger, an urgent notice , the period during which an ~ is in effect, III. transitive verb Date: circa 1868 to call to a state of readiness ; warn , to make aware of