| / English Dictionary |
TONIC
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A medicine that strengthens and invigorates
Synonyms:
restorative; tonic
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("tonic" is a kind of...):
medicament; medication; medicinal drug; medicine ((medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tonic"):
bracer; pick-me-up (a tonic or restorative (especially a drink of liquor))
Sense 2
Meaning:
(music) the first note of a diatonic scale
Synonyms:
keynote; tonic
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("tonic" is a kind of...):
musical note; note; tone (a notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound)
Domain category:
music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tonic"):
C ((music) the keynote of the scale of C major)
Sense 3
Meaning:
A sweet drink containing carbonated water and flavoring
Example:
in New England they call sodas tonics
Synonyms:
pop; soda; soda pop; soda water; tonic
Classified under:
Nouns denoting foods and drinks
Hypernyms ("tonic" is a kind of...):
soft drink (nonalcoholic beverage (usually carbonated))
Meronyms (substance of "tonic"):
carbonated water; club soda; seltzer; soda water; sparkling water (effervescent beverage artificially charged with carbon dioxide)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Lime- or lemon-flavored carbonated water containing quinine
Synonyms:
quinine water; tonic; tonic water
Classified under:
Nouns denoting foods and drinks
Hypernyms ("tonic" is a kind of...):
soft drink (nonalcoholic beverage (usually carbonated))
Meronyms (substance of "tonic"):
quinine (a bitter alkaloid extracted from chinchona bark; used in malaria therapy)
Holonyms ("tonic" is a substance of...):
gin and tonic (gin and quinine water)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Imparting vitality and energy
Example:
the bracing mountain air
Synonyms:
bracing; brisk; fresh; refreshful; refreshing; tonic
Classified under:
Similar:
invigorating (imparting strength and vitality)
Sense 2
Meaning:
(used of syllables) bearing the principle stress, usually accompanied by a change in pitch
Example:
a tonic syllables carries the main stress in a word
Synonyms:
accented; tonic
Classified under:
Antonym:
atonic ((used of syllables) carrying no stress)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Relating to or being the keynote of a major or minor scale
Example:
tonic harmony
Classified under:
Similar:
tonal (having tonality; i.e. tones and chords organized in relation to one tone such as a keynote or tonic)
Derivation:
tone (a notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Employing variations in pitch to distinguish meanings of otherwise similar words
Example:
Chinese is a tonal language
Synonyms:
tonal; tonic
Classified under:
Relational adjectives (pertainyms)
Pertainym:
tone ((linguistics) a pitch or change in pitch of the voice that serves to distinguish words in tonal languages)
Derivation:
tone ((linguistics) a pitch or change in pitch of the voice that serves to distinguish words in tonal languages)
Sense 5
Meaning:
Of or relating to or producing normal tone or tonus in muscles or tissue
Example:
tonic muscle contraction
Classified under:
Relational adjectives (pertainyms)
Domain category:
physiology (the branch of the biological sciences dealing with the functioning of organisms)
Pertainym:
tonus (the elastic tension of living muscles, arteries, etc. that facilitate response to stimuli)
Derivation:
tone; tonicity (the elastic tension of living muscles, arteries, etc. that facilitate response to stimuli)
Context examples:
Devil's claw has been used as a tonic, as a hypoglycemic, to cleanse the lymph system, and in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism, and skin cancer.
(Devils Claw, NCI Thesaurus)
Devil's claw has been used as a tonic, as a hypoglycemic, to cleanse the lymph system, and in the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism.
(Devil's Foot/Jambul, NCI Thesaurus)
The exact mechanism of action of cyclobenzaprine has not been fully determined, but this drug seems to primarily act at the brain stem to reduce tonic somatic motor activity, influencing both gamma and alpha motor neurons leading to a reduction in muscle spasms.
(Cyclobenzaprine, NCI Thesaurus)
Hunting and kindred outdoor delights had kept down the fat and hardened his muscles; and to him, as to the cold-tubbing races, the love of water had been a tonic and a health preserver.
(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)
Strength balanced sensuousness and had upon it a tonic effect, compelling him to love beauty that was healthy and making him vibrate to sensations that were wholesome.
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
The exhilarating ripple of her voice was a wild tonic in the rain.
(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)
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