1
as in signal
an object intended to give public notice or warning the tocsin rang out, warning us of the approaching tornado

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2
as in warning
something that tells of approaching danger or risk noted that a sudden drop in a student's grades may be a tocsin of a serious personal problem

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Recent Examples of tocsin Singer Building housed a sewing-machine company, but its slender campanile might have served to ring tocsins or watch for approaching armies. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 3 Aug. 2023 The Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Hudson Institute, and AEI have all been sounding the tocsin about Iran for decades. Jacob Heilbrunn, The New Republic, 23 Jan. 2020

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Cite this Entry

“Tocsin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tocsin. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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