Definition

1. Noun:
   • A physical button or switch designed to be pressed to immediately summon help or trigger an emergency response: It is a device, often connected to an alarm system, security service, or authorities, used in a critical situation to call for urgent assistance.

Usage

• The primary function of a panic button is to provide a fast, direct way to alert others during a perceived threat or emergency.
• It is commonly installed in banks, convenience stores, taxis, or private homes as part of a security system.
• The term can also be used metaphorically to describe a person's instinct to react with sudden alarm.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The teller discreetly pressed the panic button under the counter during the robbery.
  • Her new smartwatch has a built-in panic button that can alert emergency contacts.
  • The security system includes a wireless panic button by the bedside.

Advanced Usage

• "To hit/press/push the panic button" (Idiomatic): To react to a situation with sudden, often excessive, fear or alarm; to trigger an emergency response, either literally or figuratively.
  • Literally: The guard saw the intruder and immediately hit the panic button.
  • Figuratively: Don't hit the panic button just because we lost one game; the season is long.

Variants and Related Words

• Panic alarm (n): An alarm system activated by a panic button.
  • The silent panic alarm notified the police without alerting the intruder.
• Duress alarm (n): A similar security device, often another term for a panic button, specifically used when someone is under threat or coercion.

Synonyms

• Distress button: A button used to signal that one is in distress.
• Emergency button: A general term for a button used in any urgent situation.
• Duress switch: A switch used under conditions of coercion.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• "To hit/press/push the panic button": As detailed in the 'Advanced Usage' section, this is the primary idiomatic phrase associated with the term.

Noun

1. a button to push in order to summon help in case of an emergency
   • the circuit is operated by a panic button
   • when he saw that I was angry he hit the panic button