by 1780, a cant word, of unknown origin, perhaps echoic of a snore. Related: Snoozed; snoozing. The noun meaning "a short nap" is from 1793. Snooze-alarm is from 1965.

military reserves of Germany, Austria, or Switzerland, 1815, from German Landwehr, from Old High German lantweri, from lant "land" (see land (n.)) + weri "protection," from PIE root *wer- (4) "to cover." As distinguished from the militia, the Landsturm, with sturm "alarm; storm" (see storm (n.)).

1520s, "something that frightens, a scarecrow;" 1540s, "sudden panic, sudden terror inspired by a trifling cause, false alarm," from scare (v.). The earlier form was Middle English sker "fear, dread, terror, fright" (c. 1400). Scare tactic "attempt to manipulate public opinion by exploitation of fear" is by 1948.

"to throw into confusion," 1650s, from Latin consternatus, past participle of consternare "overcome, confuse, dismay, perplex, terrify, alarm," probably related to consternere "throw down, prostrate," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-), + sternere "to spread out, lay down, stretch out" (from nasalized form of PIE root *stere- "to spread"). Related: Consternated; consternating.