Word of the Day for Thursday October 20, 2005 tocsin \TOCK-sin\, noun: 1. An alarm bell, or the ringing of a bell for the purpose of alarm. 2. A warning. Some of the allegations put round are so frenzied, however, that some caution should be exercised before the tocsin is rung too loudly. --"New President of the NUS," [1]Times (London), April 10, 1969 The first atomic bomb fell and its radioactive cloud became a tocsin for mankind. --Herbert Mitgang, "The Bomb as Horror and Warning," [2]New York Times, August 1, 1990 But Mr. Beckett is wise in choosing the form of the myth in which to sound his tocsin on the condition of human society. --Brooks Atkinson, "Beckett's 'Endgame,'" [3]New York Times, January 29, 1958 _________________________________________________________ Tocsin derives from Medieval French touquesain, from Old Provençal tocasenh, from tocar, "to touch, to strike, to ring a bell" + senh, "church bell," ultimately from Latin signum, "sign, signal." References 1. http://www.the-times.co.uk/ 2. http://www.nytimes.com/ 3. http://www.nytimes.com/ Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=9&q=tocsin