alarm vs ruffle

alarm

noun
  • A sudden attack; disturbance. 

  • An instance of an alarm ringing, beeping or clanging, to give a noise signal at a certain time. 

  • A mechanical device for awaking people, or rousing their attention. 

  • Any sound or information intended to give notice of approaching danger; a warning sound to arouse attention; a warning of danger. 

  • A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy. 

  • Sudden surprise with fear or terror excited by apprehension of danger; in the military use, commonly, sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise. 

verb
  • To give (someone) notice of approaching danger 

  • To rouse to vigilance and action; to put on the alert. 

  • To surprise with apprehension of danger; to fill with anxiety in regard to threatening evil; to excite with sudden fear. 

  • To call to arms for defense 

  • To keep in excitement; to disturb. 

ruffle

noun
  • Disturbance; agitation; commotion. 

  • Any gathered or curled strip of fabric added as trim or decoration. 

  • The connected series of large egg capsules, or oothecae, of several species of American marine gastropods of the genus Fulgur. 

  • A low, vibrating beat of a drum, quieter than a roll; a ruff. 

verb
  • To become disordered; to play loosely; to flutter. 

  • To erect in a ruff, as feathers. 

  • To throw together in a disorderly manner. 

  • To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum. 

  • To disturb; especially, to cause to flutter. 

  • To be rough; to jar; to be in contention; hence, to put on airs; to swagger. 

  • To grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent. 

  • To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers, plaits, or folds; to wrinkle. 

  • To make a ruffle in; to curl or flute, as an edge of fabric. 

How often have the words alarm and ruffle occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )