tonic

ton·ic  (tnk)

n.

1. An agent, such as a medication, that restores or increases body tone.

2. An invigorating, refreshing, or restorative agent or influence.

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. Producing or stimulating physical, mental, or emotional vigor.

2.

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.

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

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toni·cal·ly adv.

Regional Note: 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. Such a variety of regional equivalents is unusual for a product for which advertising is so aggressive and universal; usually advertising has the effect of squeezing out regional variants. On the other hand, there are so many types and flavors of soft drinks that perhaps no single generic word has ever emerged to challenge the regionalisms. See Note at dope.

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tonic

Noun

1. a medicine that improves the functioning of the body or increases the feeling of wellbeing

2. anything that enlivens or strengthens: his dry humour was a stimulating tonic

3. Also called: (tonic water) a carbonated beverage containing quinine and often mixed with alcoholic drinks: gin and tonic

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

Adjective

1. having an invigorating or refreshing effect: a tonic bath

2. Music of the first note of a major or minor scale [Greek tonikos concerning tone]

Thesaurus

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"

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tonic

noun stimulant, boost, bracer (informal) refresher, cordial, pick-me-up (informal) fillip, shot in the arm (informal) restorative, livener, analeptic, roborant

Translations

tonic [ˈtɔnɪk] n (MED) → tónico;

(MUS) → tónica;

(also: tonic water) → (agua) tónica

tonic [ˈtɔnɪk] n (Med) → tonique m;

(Mus) → tonique f;

(also: tonic water) → Schweppes® m

tonic [ˈtɔnɪk] n (Med) → Tonikum nt (fig); Wohltat f;

(also: tonic water) → Tonic nt;

(Mus) → Tonika f, Grundton m

tonic [ˈtɔnɪk] n (MED) → ricostituente m (= skin tonic); tonico;

(MUS) → nota tonica;

(also: tonic water) → acqua tonica

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tonic

n tonic [ˈtonik]

1 (a) medicine that gives strength or energy The doctor prescribed a (bottle of) tonic.tonikumمُقَوٍّ، مُنَشِّطсредство за ободряванеtonikumopkvikkende middel; tonikumdas Stärkungsmittelτονωτικό, δυναμωτικόtónicoergutiداروی مقویvahvistava lääketoniqueשִיקוּי מְחַזֵקबलवर्धक औषधिtonik, sredstvo za jačanjeerősítő(szer)tinikumstyrkjandi lyftonico強壮剤강장제tonizuojantis vaistastonizējošs līdzeklistoniktonicumstyrkemiddel/-medisinśrodek tonizującytónicotonicтонизирующее средствоtonikumkrepčilotoniktonikumยาบำรุงtonik, kuvvet ilâcı補藥тонізуючий, зміцнювальний засібٹانک، قوت بخش دواthuốc bổ补药

2 (also ˈtonic-water) water containing quinine, often drunk with gin etc I'd like a gin and tonic.tonikumمياه غازِيَّه مَعْدَنِيَّهтоникtoniktonicder Tonicτόνικtónicatoonikسوداtonicsoda toniqueמֵי טוֹנִיקबल्य, बलवर्द्धक औषधिtoniktonikair sodatóník(acqua tonica)トニック탄산수tonizuojantis gėrimastoniks; tonizējošs dzēriensair toniktonictonictonikágua tónicaapă tonicăтоникtoniktoniktoniktonicน้ำโทนิค (มักใช้ผสมเหล้าดื่ม)tonik奎寧水，常與杜松子酒合飲тонікکنين دوا ملا ہوا پانيnước khoáng vị quin奎宁水，常与杜松子酒合饮