Main Entry: ¹ton·ic

Pronunciation: \ˈtä-nik\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Greek tonikos, from tonos tension, tone

Date: 1649

1 a : characterized by tonus <tonic contraction of muscle>; also : marked by prolonged muscular contraction <tonic convulsions> b : producing or adapted to produce healthy muscular condition and reaction of organs (as muscles)
2 a : increasing or restoring physical or mental tone : refreshing b : yielding a tonic substance
3 : relating to or based on the first tone of a scale <tonic harmony>
4 of a syllable : bearing a principal stress or accent
5 : of or relating to speech tones or to languages using them to distinguish words otherwise identical

— ton·i·cal·ly \ˈtä-ni-k(ə-)lē\ adverb