alert (alerts plural & 3rd person present) (alerting present participle) (alerted past tense & past participle )
1 adj If you are alert, you are paying full attention to things around you and are able to deal with anything that might happen.
(=attentive)
We all have to stay alert...
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alertness n-uncount
The drug improved mental alertness.
2 adj If you are alert to something, you are fully aware of it.
The bank is alert to the danger.
3 n-count An alert is a situation in which people prepare themselves for something dangerous that might happen soon.
Due to a security alert, this train will not be stopping at Oxford Circus.
4 verb If you alert someone to a situation, especially a dangerous or unpleasant situation, you tell them about it.
He wanted to alert people to the activities of the group... V n to n
6 If soldiers or police are on alert, they are ready to deal with anything that may happen.
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on alert phrase
Soldiers and police have been put on alert.
7 If you are on the alert for something, you are ready to deal with it if it happens.
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on the alert phrase
They want to be on the alert for similar buying opportunities.