emergency

Everyday

1. A sudden dangerous situation where help is needed quickly: a fire, a bad accident, someone who can't breathe. tree →
2. As an adjective, used in such a situation: "emergency exit", "emergency services". tree →

In the lessons

In safety lessons: in an emergency, stay calm, get safe, call the emergency number — 911 (USA, Canada), 999 or 112 (UK, Ireland), 000 (Australia), 111 (New Zealand) — say your address and what happened, and listen. Know your address and an emergency plan. Phrases: in an emergency, emergency services, emergency exit, emergency room, emergency number.

Examples

• Call 911 in an emergency. tree →
• A fire is an emergency. tree →
• The emergency exit is at the back. tree →
• An ambulance is one of the emergency services. tree →
• Only call the number in a real emergency. tree →
• Learn your address in case of an emergency. tree →
• We practise for emergencies with fire drills. tree →
• The doctor had an emergency and left. tree →
• But in this emergency Poseidon came to the aid of the son of Tantalus. tree →

Note

Plural "emergencies". Not every problem is an emergency: a lost toy is not, someone not breathing is. Making a fake emergency call is wrong and can stop real people getting help.