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Definition of tonic noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

tonic

noun
 
/ˈtɒnɪk/
 
/ˈtɑːnɪk/
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  1. (also tonic water)
    [uncountable, countable] a clear fizzy drink (= with bubbles in it) with a slightly bitter taste, that is often mixed with a strong alcoholic drink, especially gin or vodka
    • a gin and tonic
    Topics Drinksc2
  2. [countable] a medicine that makes you feel stronger and healthier, taken especially when you feel tired
    • herbal tonics
    Topics Healthcarec2
  3. [countable, uncountable] a liquid that you put on your hair or skin in order to make it healthier
    • skin tonic
    Topics Appearancec2
  4. [countable, usually singular] (old-fashioned) anything that makes people feel healthier or happier
    • The weekend break was just the tonic I needed.
  5. [countable] (music) the first note of a scale of eight notes
  6. (also tonic syllable)
    [countable] (phonetics) the syllable in a tone unit on which a change in pitch takes place
  7. Word Originmid 17th cent.: from French tonique, from Greek tonikos ‘of or for stretching’, from tonos ‘tension, tone’, from teinein ‘to stretch’.
See tonic in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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