tonic

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Related to TONICS: tonic water

ton·ic

(tŏn′ĭk)

a. An agent, such as a medication, that is supposed to restore or improve health or well-being.

b. A liquid preparation for the scalp or hair.

2. An invigorating, refreshing, or restorative agent or influence: Laughter was a tonic for the dispirited team.

3. See tonic water.

4. Boston See soft drink.

5. Music The first note of a diatonic scale; the keynote.

6. Linguistics A tonic accent.

adj.

1. Restorative or stimulating to health or well-being.

a. Physiology Of, relating to, or producing tone or tonicity in muscles or tissue: a tonic reflex.

b. Medicine Characterized by continuous tension or contraction of muscles: a tonic convulsion or spasm.

3. Music Of or based on the keynote.

4. Stressed, as a syllable; accented.

[New Latin tonicus, of tension or tone, from Greek tonikos, capable of extension, from tonos, a stretching, tone; see tone.]

ton′i·cal·ly adv.

Our Living Language Generic terms for carbonated soft drinks vary widely in the United States. Probably the two most common words competing for precedence are soda, used in the northeast United States as well as St. Louis and vicinity, and pop, used from the Midwest westward. In the South any soft drink, regardless of flavor or brand name, is referred to as a Coke, cold drink, or just plain drink. Speakers in Boston and its environs have a term of their own: tonic. See Note at dope

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

tonic

(ˈtɒnɪk)

1. (Pharmacology) a medicinal preparation intended to improve and strengthen the functioning of the body or increase the feeling of wellbeing

2. anything that enlivens or strengthens: his speech was a tonic to the audience.

3. Also called: tonic water a mineral water, usually carbonated and containing quinine and often mixed with gin or other alcoholic drinks

4. (Classical Music) music

a. the first degree of a major or minor scale and the tonal centre of a piece composed in a particular key

b. a key or chord based on this

5. (Linguistics) a stressed syllable in a word

adj

6. serving to enliven and invigorate: a tonic wine.

7. of or relating to a tone or tones

8. (Classical Music) music of or relating to the first degree of a major or minor scale

9. (Art Terms) of or denoting the general effect of colour and light and shade in a picture

10. (Physiology) physiol of, relating to, characterized by, or affecting normal muscular or bodily tone: a tonic spasm.

11. (Linguistics) of or relating to stress or the main stress in a word

12. (Linguistics) denoting a tone language

[C17: from New Latin tonicus, from Greek tonikos concerning tone, from tonos tone]

ˈtonically adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ton•ic

(ˈtɒn ɪk)

n.

1. a medicine that invigorates or strengthens.

2. anything invigorating physically, mentally, or morally.

3. tonic water.

4. the first degree of a musical scale; keynote.

5. Chiefly Eastern New Eng. soda pop.

6. a tonic syllable or accent.

adj.

7. pertaining to, maintaining, increasing, or restoring the tone or health of the body or an organ, as a medicine.

8. invigorating physically, mentally, or morally.

a. pertaining to tension, as of the muscles.

b. marked by continued muscular tension: a tonic spasm.

10. of or pertaining to tone or accent in speech.

11. pertaining to or being a tone language.

12. (of a syllable) bearing the principal stress or accent, usu. accompanied by a change in pitch.

13. pertaining to or based on the first tone of a musical scale: a tonic chord.

[1640–50; < Greek tonikós pertaining to stretching or tones. See tone, -ic]

ton′i•cal•ly, adv.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	tonic - lime- or lemon-flavored carbonated water containing quinine quinine water, tonic water quinine - a bitter alkaloid extracted from chinchona bark; used in malaria therapy gin and tonic - gin and quinine water soft drink - nonalcoholic beverage (usually carbonated)
	2.	tonic - a sweet drink containing carbonated water and flavoring; "in New England they call sodas tonics" soda pop, soda water, pop, soda soft drink - nonalcoholic beverage (usually carbonated) carbonated water, club soda, soda water, sparkling water, seltzer - effervescent beverage artificially charged with carbon dioxide
	3.	tonic - (music) the first note of a diatonic scale keynote musical note, note, tone - a notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound; "the singer held the note too long" C - (music) the keynote of the scale of C major music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
	4.	tonic - a medicine that strengthens and invigorates restorative bracer, pick-me-up - a tonic or restorative (especially a drink of liquor) medicament, medication, medicinal drug, medicine - (medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease
Adj.	1.	tonic - of or relating to or producing normal tone or tonus in muscles or tissue; "a tonic reflex"; "tonic muscle contraction" physiology - the branch of the biological sciences dealing with the functioning of organisms
	2.	tonic - employing variations in pitch to distinguish meanings of otherwise similar words; "Chinese is a tonal language" tonal
	3.	tonic - used of syllables; "a tonic syllables carries the main stress in a word" accented unaccented, atonic - used of syllables; "an atonic syllable carries no stress"
	4.	tonic - relating to or being the keynote of a major or minor scale; "tonic harmony" tonal - having tonality; i.e. tones and chords organized in relation to one tone such as a keynote or tonic
	5.	tonic - imparting vitality and energy; "the bracing mountain air" bracing, refreshful, refreshing, brisk, fresh invigorating - imparting strength and vitality; "the invigorating mountain air"

tonic

noun stimulant, boost, bracer (informal), refresher, cordial, pick-me-up (informal), fillip, shot in the arm (informal), restorative, livener, analeptic, roborant We are spending twice as much on health tonics as five years ago.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

tonic

noun

A medicine that restores or increases vigor:

restorative, roborant.

Informal: bracer, pick-me-up.

adjective

Producing or stimulating physical, mental, or emotional vigor:

bracing, energizing, exhilarant, exhilarating, innerving, intoxicating, invigorating, refreshing, reinvigorating, renewing, restorative, roborant, stimulating.

Translations

مُقَوٍّ، مُنَشِّطمِيَاهٌ غَازِيَّةمياه غازِيَّه مَعْدَنِيَّه

toniktonikum

tonictonikum

Stärkungsmittel Tonic Tonika Tonikum

τονωτικό

tónica tónico

vahvistava lääke

tonique soda tonique

tonik

erõsítõszertonik

styrkjandi lyftóník

tonico tonica acqua tonica

強壮剤

강장제

tonikstonizējošs dzērienstonizējošs līdzeklis

toniktonikum

stärkande medel

น้ำโทนิค

tonikkuvvet ilâcı

thuốc bổ

奎宁水补药

tonic

[ˈtɒnɪk]

A. N

1. (Med) (also fig) → tónico m
this news will be a tonic for the market → esta noticia será un tónico para la bolsa

2. (also tonic water) → agua f tónica, tónica f

3. (Mus) → tónica f

B. ADJ (all senses) → tónico

C. CPD tonic accent N (Mus) → acento m tónico

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

tonic

[ˈtɒnɪk]

(= medicine) → tonique m

(= cheering experience) → stimulant m

(in music) → tonique f

(also tonic water) → tonic m
a gin and tonic → un gin tonic

adj [effect] → tonique

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

tonic

(Med) → Tonikum nt; (= hair tonic) → Haarwasser nt; (= skin tonic) → Lotion f; it was a real tonic to see him again (fig) → es hat richtig gutgetan, ihn wiederzusehen

tonic (water) → Tonic(water) nt; gin and tonic → Gin m → (mit) Tonic

(Mus) → Tonika f, → Grundton m; tonic sol-fa → Solmisation f

adj

(Med) → stärkend, kräftigend, tonisch (spec); tonic wine → Stärkungswein m

(Phon) syllable, stress → tontragend

(Mus) note → tonisch

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

tonic

[ˈtɒnɪk]

1. n

a. (Med) → ricostituente m (also skin tonic) → tonico
fresh air is the best tonic when you have a headache → l'aria fresca è il miglior rimedio per il mal di testa
this will be a tonic to her → questo la tirerà su

b. (also tonic water) → acqua tonica

c. (Mus) → nota tonica

2. adj (all senses) → tonico/a
tonic solfa (Mus) → solfeggio

tonic

(ˈtonik) noun

1. (a) medicine that gives strength or energy. The doctor prescribed a (bottle of) tonic.

2. (also ˈtonic-water) water containing quinine, often drunk with gin etc. I'd like a gin and tonic.

tonic

→ مِيَاهٌ غَازِيَّة tonik tonic Tonikum τονωτικό tónica, tónico vahvistava lääke tonique tonik tonico 強壮剤 강장제 tonic styrkemiddel tonik tónico, tônico тоник stärkande medel น้ำโทนิค tonik thuốc bổ 奎宁水

ton·ic

n. tónico, reconstituyente que restaura la vitalidad del organismo;

a. tónico-a.

1. que restaura el tono normal;

2. caracterizado-a por una tensión continua.

I'll have a gin and tonic, please → Dám si džin s tonikem, prosím → En gin og tonic, tak → Ich hätte gerne einen Gin Tonic → Otan gin tonicin, kiitos → Ja ću džin i tonik, molim → 진 앤 토닉 주세요 → Een gin-tonic alstublieft → Jeg tar en gin og tonic → Proszę dżin z tonikiem → Jag tar en gin och tonic, tack → Ben bir cin tonik alayım lütfen → 我要一杯金汤力

tonic

n tónico, reconstituyente m

References in classic literature ?

So I take phosphates or phosphites--whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to "work" until I am well again.

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"Rest and a little tonic medicine will soon set me right." The clammy coldness of his skin made Emily shudder, as they shook hands.

View in context

Recalled to the bedside by the moans of his patient, the Kind- hearted Physician administered a stimulant, a tonic, and a nutrient, and went away.

View in context

It was an ordinary prescription for a tonic mixture.

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"From him we may expect no philosopher's stone, but at least we will find a few robust tonic things to which to tie."

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Here he found Professor Maxon much improved--the safe return of Virginia having acted as a tonic upon him.

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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.

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I really shall feel anxious if she does not have a tonic of some sort," said Aunt Plenty, eyeing the new remedies suspiciously, for she had more faith in her old-fashioned doses than all the magic cups and poppy pillows of the East.

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The coolness of the September night quickened the life in him like a rare, tonic wine.

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I'll take the risk." Then he added whimsically: "You don't know, of course; but that little girl is better than a six-quart bottle of tonic any day.

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"My mother, at the time of her death, and for some time before it, was taking a tonic containing strychnine."

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We imitated the Vintage-processes of Nature in a back-kitchen at Brompton, and produced a dinner-sherry, pale and curious, tonic in character, round in the mouth, a favorite with the Court of Spain, at nineteen-and-sixpence a dozen, bottles included -- Vide Prospectus of the period.