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tonic - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'tonic' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Tonic [ a.]
- Of or relating to tones or sounds; specifically (Phon.), applied to, or distingshing, a speech sound made with tone unmixed and undimmed by obstruction, such sounds, namely, the vowels and diphthongs, being so called by Dr. James Rush (1833) " from their forming the purest and most plastic material of intonation."
- Of or pertaining to tension; increasing tension; hence, increasing strength; as, tonic power.
- Increasing strength, or the tone of the animal system; obviating the effects of debility, and restoring healthy functions.
2 . Tonic [ n.]
- A tonic element or letter; a vowel or a diphthong.
- The key tone, or first tone of any scale.
- A medicine that increases the strength, and gives vigor of action to the system.

Meaning of 'tonic' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . tonic [ n]
Meaning (1):
- a sweet drink containing carbonated water and flavoring
Example in sentence:
  • in New England they call sodas tonics
2 . tonic [ a]
Meaning (2):
- of or relating to or producing normal tone or tonus in muscles or tissue
Example in sentence:
  • a tonic reflex;
  • tonic muscle contraction
Meaning (3):
- (used of syllables) bearing the principle stress, usually accompanied by a change in pitch
Example in sentence:
  • a tonic syllables carries the main stress in a word
Meaning (4):
- employing variations in pitch to distinguish meanings of otherwise similar words
Example in sentence:
  • Chinese is a tonal language
5 . tonic [ s]
Meaning (5):
- imparting vitality and energy
Example in sentence:
  • the bracing mountain air
Meaning (6):
- relating to or being the keynote of a major or minor scale
Example in sentence:
  • tonic harmony

Nearby Words:

ton tonality tonca bean toncanet tone toned toneless tong tonga tonge

See 'tonic' also in:

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Related Definitions

  • Catatonic
    Catatonic is a marked psychomotor disturbance that may involve stupor or mutism, negativism, rigidity, purposeless excitement and
  • Isotonic
    Isotonic pertaining to a solution that has the same osmotic pressure as that within a cell.

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