Tocsin \Toc"sin\, n. [F., fr. OF. toquier to touch, F. toquer (originally, a dialectic form of F. toucher) + seint (for sein) a bell, LL. signum, fr. L. signum a sign, signal. See {Touch}, and {Sign}.] An alarm bell, or the ringing of a bell for the purpose of alarm. The loud tocsin tolled their last alarm. --Campbell. web1913

tocsin n 1: the sound of an alarm (usually a bell) [syn: {alarm bell}] 2: a bell used to sound an alarm [syn: {warning bell}] wn