different between limber vs alert

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?mb?(?)/

Etymology 1

Unknown; possibly related to limb or limp.

Adjective

limber (comparative limberer, superlative limberest)

1. Flexible, pliant, bendable.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

limber (third-person singular simple present limbers, present participle limbering, simple past and past participle limbered)

1. To cause to become limber; to make flexible or pliant.

Translations

Etymology 2

For the obsolete limmer, from Old Norse limar (“branches”), plural of lim.

Noun

limber (plural limbers)

1. (military) A two-wheeled vehicle to which a wheeled artillery piece or caisson may be attached for transport.
   • 1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber and Faber 2003, p. 29:

     we covered the rutted, rattling, dusty pot-holed roads of coastal Victoria, six big Walers in front, the cannon at the rear, and that unsprung cart they called a ‘limber’ in the middle.

2. (in the plural) The shafts or thills of a wagon or carriage.
3. (nautical, in the plural) Gutters or conduits on each side of the keelson to allow water to pass to the pump well.

Usage notes

• Sometimes the plural limbers was used to refer to a single such vehicle.

Translations

Verb

limber (third-person singular simple present limbers, present participle limbering, simple past and past participle limbered)

1. (obsolete) To prepare an artillery piece for transportation (i.e., to attach it to its limber.)

Antonyms

• unlimber

Translations

See also

• caisson

Further reading

• Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.
• limber on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• limbers and caissons on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Limbers on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• limber at OneLook Dictionary Search
• limber in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

References

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??l??t/
• (General American) enPR: ?-lûrt?, IPA^(key): /??l?t/
• Rhymes: -??(?)t
• Hyphenation: a?lert

Etymology 1

From French alerte (“alert”), from the phrase à l'erte (“on the watch”), from Italian all'erta (“to the height”), from erta (“lookout, tower”).

Adjective

alert (comparative more alert, superlative most alert)

2. Attentive; awake; on guard.
3. (obsolete) brisk; nimble; moving with celerity.

   • I saw an alert young fellow that cocked his hat upon a friend of his who entered just at the same time with myself

Translations

Noun

alert (plural alerts)

1. An alarm.
2. A notification of higher importance than an advisory.
3. (military) A state of readiness for potential combat.

   an airborne alert; ground alert

Translations

Etymology 2

Formed within English by conversion, from alert (adj). Compare French alerter.

Verb

alert (third-person singular simple present alerts, present participle alerting, simple past and past participle alerted)

1. To give warning to.

Translations

References

Anagrams

• alter, alter-, altre, artel, later, ratel, taler, telar

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French alerte.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a??l?rt/
• Hyphenation: alert
• Rhymes: -?rt

Adjective

alert (comparative alerter, superlative alertst)

1. alert

Inflection

Derived terms

• alertheid

Anagrams

• later, ratel

German

Etymology

From French alerte.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [a?l??t]

Adjective

alert (comparative alerter, superlative am alertesten)

1. alert

Declension

Further reading

• “alert” in Duden online

Romanian

Etymology

From French alerte

Adjective

alert m or n (feminine singular alert?, masculine plural aler?i, feminine and neuter plural alerte)

1. wide-awake

Declension

Swedish

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a?læ?/
• Rhymes: -æ??

Adjective

alert (comparative alertare, superlative alertast)

1. alert

Declension

Anagrams

• artel, later, letar, realt