Tonic : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: Tonic	by the DICT Development Group
4 results for Tonic
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
tonic adj of or relating to or producing normal tone or tonus in muscles or tissue; "a tonic reflex"; "tonic muscle contraction" employing variations in pitch to distinguish meanings of otherwise similar words; "Chinese is a tonal language" Synonym(s): tonic, tonal used of syllables; "a tonic syllables carries the main stress in a word" Synonym(s): tonic, accented Antonym(s): atonic, unaccented relating to or being the keynote of a major or minor scale; "tonic harmony" imparting vitality and energy; "the bracing mountain air" Synonym(s): bracing, brisk, fresh, refreshing, refreshful, tonic n lime- or lemon-flavored carbonated water containing quinine Synonym(s): tonic, tonic water, quinine water a sweet drink containing carbonated water and flavoring; "in New England they call sodas tonics" Synonym(s): pop, soda, soda pop, soda water, tonic (music) the first note of a diatonic scale Synonym(s): tonic, keynote a medicine that strengthens and invigorates Synonym(s): tonic, restorative
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Tonic \Ton"ic\, a. (Med.) Characterized by continuous muscular contraction; as, tonic convulsions.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Tonic \Ton"ic\, a. [Cf. F. tonigue, Gr. [?]. See {Tone}.] 1. Of or relating to tones or sounds; specifically (Phon.), applied to, or distingshing, a speech sound made with tone unmixed and undimmed by obstruction, such sounds, namely, the vowels and diphthongs, being so called by Dr. James Rush (1833) [bd] from their forming the purest and most plastic material of intonation.[b8] 2. Of or pertaining to tension; increasing tension; hence, increasing strength; as, tonic power. 3. (Med.) Increasing strength, or the tone of the animal system; obviating the effects of debility, and restoring healthy functions. {Tonic spasm}. (Med.) See the Note under {Spasm}.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Tonic \Ton"ic\, n. [Cf. F. tonique, NL. tonicum.] 1. (Phon.) A tonic element or letter; a vowel or a diphthong. 2. (Mus.) The key tone, or first tone of any scale. 3. (Med.) A medicine that increases the strength, and gives vigor of action to the system. {Tonic sol-fa} (Mus.), the name of the most popular among letter systems of notation (at least in England), based on key relationship, and hence called [bd]tonic.[b8] Instead of the five lines, clefs, signature, etc., of the usual notation, it employs letters and the syllables do, re, mi, etc., variously modified, with other simple signs of duration, of upper or lower octave, etc. See {Sol-fa}.