— tonically , adv.
/ton"ik/ , n.
1. a medicine that invigorates or strengthens: a tonic of sulphur and molasses.
2. anything invigorating physically, mentally, or morally: His cheerful greeting was a real tonic.
3. See quinine water .
4. Music. the first degree of the scale; the keynote.
5. Chiefly Eastern New Eng. soda pop.
6. Phonet. 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.
9. Physiol. , Pathol.
a. pertaining to tension, as of the muscles.
b. marked by continued muscular tension: a tonic spasm.
10. using differences in tone or pitch to distinguish between words that are otherwise phonemically identical: a tonic language.
11. pertaining to tone or accent in speech.
12. Phonet. (of a syllable) bearing the principal stress or accent, usually accompanied by a change in pitch.
13. Music.
a. of or pertaining to a tone or tones.
b. pertaining to or founded on the keynote, or first tone, of a musical scale: a tonic chord.
[ 1640-50; tonikós pertaining to stretching or tones. See TONE, -IC ]
Syn. 2. stimulant, restorative, bracer, pickup.
Regional Variation. 5. See soda pop .