擦すり半ばん

す

り

ば

ん

Meanings

noun

continuous fire alarm ringing; urgent fire warning bell

A fire alarm rung continuously to signal that a fire is extremely close. Often associated with the term 擦り半鐘 (すりばんしょう).

Kanji

擦grate, rub, scratch
半half, middle, odd number
擂grind, mash, grate

Related words

擦すり半ばん鐘しょう
擦り半 is an abbreviation of 擦り半鐘, which refers to the same alarm or its sound. 擦り半鐘 is the full term.
半はん鐘しょう
半鐘 is a fire bell or alarm bell in general. 擦り半 specifically refers to the continuous ringing mode.

Built from

擦する+半はん

Written forms

擦すり半ばん
Standard kanji spelling for this term.
擦すり半ばん
Variant spelling without okurigana.
擂すり半ばん
Alternate kanji for 擦る; less common.

Etymology

Abbreviation of 擦り半鐘 (すりばんしょう). 擦り (すり) comes from 擦る (する, 'to rub, strike'), referring to the continuous striking of the bell, and 半鐘 (はんしょう) means 'fire alarm bell'.