tocsin (toksin)

[Early mod. E. tocksaine; The priests went up into the steeple, and rang the bells backward, which they call tocksaine , whereupon the people... flocked together. Fulke , Answer to P. Frarine (an. 1580), p. 52. ( Todd .) That all-softening, overpowering knell, The tocsin of the soul - the dinner-bell. IMG:content-0513.jpg:[blocks in formation] And again the wild alarum sounded from the tocsin's throat. Long fellow, Belfry of Bruges. 3. Milit., an alarm-drum formerly used as a signal for charging.