Added 10 October 2026
tonic
/ˈtɒnɪk/ noun
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about tonic at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Lime- or lemon-flavored carbonated water containing quinine.
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A sweet drink containing carbonated water and flavoring.
in New England they call sodas tonics
- (music) the first note of a diatonic scale.
adjective
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Of or relating to or producing normal tone or tonus in muscles or tissue.
a tonic reflex
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Employing variations in pitch to distinguish meanings of otherwise similar words.
Chinese is a tonal language
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(used of syllables) bearing the principle stress, usually accompanied by a change in pitch.
a tonic syllables carries the main stress in a word
Origin
From Ancient Greek τονικός (tonikós), from τόνος (tónos). 17th century writers believed health to be derived from firmly stretched muscles, thus tonic; the extension of tonic medicine appeared in the late 18th century. By surface analysis, ton(e) + -ic.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)