noun
a warning about a danger that does not happen; a belief that sth bad is going to happen, when it is not :
The fire service was called out but it was a false alarm.
noun
a warning about a danger that does not happen; a belief that sth bad is going to happen, when it is not :
The fire service was called out but it was a false alarm.
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary. Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне. 2005