tonic
1 Americannoun
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a medicine that invigorates or strengthens.
a tonic of sulphur and molasses.
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anything invigorating physically, mentally, or morally.
His cheerful greeting was a real tonic.
- Synonyms:
- pickup, bracer, restorative, stimulant
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Music. the first degree of the scale; the keynote.
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Chiefly Eastern New England. soda pop.
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Phonetics. a tonic syllable or accent.
adjective
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pertaining to, maintaining, increasing, or restoring the tone or health of the body or an organ, as a medicine.
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invigorating physically, mentally, or morally.
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Physiology, Pathology.
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pertaining to tension, as of the muscles.
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marked by continued muscular tension.
a tonic spasm.
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using differences in tone or pitch to distinguish between words that are otherwise phonemically identical.
a tonic language.
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pertaining to tone or accent in speech.
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Phonetics. (of a syllable) bearing the principal stress or accent, usually accompanied by a change in pitch.
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Music.
noun
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a medicinal preparation intended to improve and strengthen the functioning of the body or increase the feeling of wellbeing
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anything that enlivens or strengthens
his speech was a tonic to the audience
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Also called: tonic water. a mineral water, usually carbonated and containing quinine and often mixed with gin or other alcoholic drinks
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music
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the first degree of a major or minor scale and the tonal centre of a piece composed in a particular key
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a key or chord based on this
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a stressed syllable in a word
adjective
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serving to enliven and invigorate
a tonic wine
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of or relating to a tone or tones
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music of or relating to the first degree of a major or minor scale
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of or denoting the general effect of colour and light and shade in a picture
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physiol of, relating to, characterized by, or affecting normal muscular or bodily tone
a tonic spasm
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of or relating to stress or the main stress in a word
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denoting a tone language
Regionalisms
See soda pop.
Other Word Forms
- antitonic adjective
- nontonic adjective
- pretonic noun
- tonically adverb
Etymology
Origin of tonic1
First recorded in 1640–50, tonic is from the Greek word tonikós pertaining to stretching or tones. See tone, -ic
Origin of -tonic2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He decided to enter the business himself, initially moving into the basement of his parents’ home to help start Cann, which he calls a “social tonic” company.
She has this energy boosting key from a Chinese herbalist lady in New York, like a tonic.
From Los Angeles Times
Last November, the company, privately owned by the Antoci family, opened its first East Coast “tonic bar” at Manhattan’s new private wellness club Kith Ivy.
In an environment dominated by artificial intelligence, Colgate’s stable business and solid dividend make it a tonic to the AI trade.
From Barron's
“Believe it or not, you can also use tonic water because it has quinine,” he continues.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
