noun
tocsin
Tocsin (noun) means a warning signal rung on a bell or bells, a term first linked especially to France.
noun
1
A warning signal rung on a bell or bells, a term first linked especially to France.
"As she entered the projection theatre the soundtrack reverberated across the sculpture garden, a melancholy tocsin modulated by Talbert’s less and less coherent commentary."
— JG Ballard, The Atrocity Exhibition (1970)
"Allen Ginsberg had sounded the tocsin for rescuing humanity from the deadening hand of modernity, which he saw in terms of capitalism, materialism, and monotony, each contributing to the crushing of the human spirit."
— Gary Gerstle (2022)
"I'll ring the tocsin, I'll have Saint-Antoine out. I can put twenty thousand armed men on the streets, just like that."
— Hilary Mantel, A Place of Greater Safety (1992)
2
A bell rung to warn people of danger.
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like tocsin.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French, from Old French toquesain (modern tocsin), from Old Occitan tocasenh, from tocar, meaning “strike, touch”, plus senh, meaning “bell”.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of tocsin?
"tocsin" (noun) means a warning signal rung on a bell or bells, a term first linked especially to France.
What are the different meanings of tocsin?
"tocsin" has 2 main meanings: 1. A warning signal rung on a bell or bells, a term first linked especially to France; 2. A bell rung to warn people of danger.
