Amber Alert
Definition
A public emergency alert system in the United States and other countries, issued for serious child abduction cases to enlist widespread public assistance in locating the child.
Named after Amber Hagerman, a nine-year-old abducted and murdered in Texas in 1996, it rapidly disseminates information via TV, radio, highway signs, and mobile notifications.
Informally, any urgent, high-priority warning that grabs everyone's attention, akin to a digital posse forming in seconds.
Examples
The soccer mom issued an Amber Alert when her toddler escaped with the family iPad into the neighbor's yard.
In a plot twist worthy of a bad thriller, the escaped hamster prompted an impromptu Amber Alert among the office pets.
Dad's wallet vanished at the mall, sparking whispers of an Amber Alert for the rogue credit cards.
When the barista spelled my name wrong on the coffee cup again, I half-expected an Amber Alert for the missing vowels.