a. and sb. [ad. Gr. τονικ-ός of or for stretching, f. τόν-ος: see TONE sb. Cf. mod.L. tonicus, F. tonique (16th c. in Godef., Compl.).]
A. adj.
1. Phys. and Path. Pertaining to, consisting in, or producing tension: esp. in relation to the muscles.
Tonic contraction, continuous muscular contraction without relaxation. Tonic convulsion or spasm, one characterized by such contraction (opp. to CLONIC). † Tonic motion, a former term for a state of continuous tension in the muscles such as that which keeps the body erect (cf. quot. 1646 s.v., TONICAL 1).
1649. Bulwer, Pathomyot., II. i. 83. Action without motion of the Muscle, is called a Tonique motion.
1666. J. Smith, Old Age (1676), 62. They [muscles] can perform adduction, abduction; flexion, extension; pronation, supination, the Tonick motion, circumgiration.
1756. P. Browne, Jamaica, 381. Of worms or insects that have no solid props within themselves, but perform all their weakly motions by a mere tonic or muscular power.
1799. Med. Jrnl., II. 340. The increased tonic motion of the vessels which the Stahlians … considered as the efficient cause of inflammation.
1830. R. Knox, Béclard’s Anat., 135. Motions of tonic contraction, augmented in many places by the action of the elastic tissue.
1834. J. Forbes, Laennec’s Dis. Chest (ed. 4), 375. We cannot regard the tonic spasm of the bronchi, or even perhaps of the air-cells, as impossible; since every muscle is susceptible of spasm.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VII. 351. Tonic or clonic convulsions sometimes occur [in positive hæmorrhage].
b. Pertaining to, or maintaining, the tone or normal healthy condition of the tissues or organs (cf. TONE sb. 7). See also 2.
1684. T. Burnet, Th. Earth, I. 207. The tone or tonick disposition of the organs whereby they perform their several functions.
1813. J. Thomson, Lect. Inflam., 65. Stahl’s ideas respecting the tonic or vital action of the capillary vessels.
1855. H. Spencer, Princ. Psychol. (1873), I. I. v. 93. This pervading activity of the muscles is called their tonic state.
2. Med., etc. Having the property of increasing or restoring the tone or healthy condition and activity of the system or organs; strengthening, invigorating, bracing. (Of remedies or remedial treatment, and hence of air, climate, etc.)
1756. C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, III. 205. Their vapor … is found to be more tonic.
1800. Med. Jrnl., IV. 160. A long course of steel, in conjunction with tonic bitters.
1867. Aug. J. E. Wilson, Vashti, xxiv. Be sure she takes that tonic mixture three times a day.
1885. G. Meredith, Diana, v. She spoke of the weather—frosty, but tonic.
fig. 1848. Kingsley, Saint’s Trag., II. ix. God brings thee The tonic cup I feared to mix.
1867. H. Latham, Black & White, p. viii. One great benefit to be derived from a visit to America is its tonic effect upon the mind.
3. Mus. Formerly applied to the key-note of a composition (tonic note), now called simply tonic (see B. 2); now (attrib. use of B. 2), Pertaining to or founded upon the tonic or key-note: as tonic chord, a chord having the tonic for its root; tonic pedal, the key-note sustained as a PEDAL (sb. 4).
1760. Stiles, in Phil. Trans., LI. 773. Two modes with the same tonic note, the one neither acuter nor graver than the other, make no part of the old system of modes.
1867. Macfarren, Harmony (1892), 56. A tonic pedal … has the effect of confirming the conclusion indicated by a perfect cadence.
1880. Stainer, Composition, § 14. The third degree of the scale can form a portion of a tonic chord, or chord of the relative minor.
b. Tonic Sol-fa: name of a system of teaching music, esp. vocal music, introduced by the Rev. John Curwen about 1850, in which the seven notes of the ordinary major scale in any key are sung to syllables written doh, ray, me, fah, soh, lah, te (modifications of the older do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si: see these words and GAMUT), and indicated in the notation by the initials d, r, m, etc.; doh always denoting the tonic or key-note, and the remaining syllables indicating the relation to it of the other notes of the scale. Chiefly attrib. Hence Tonic Sol-faist, one who advocates or uses the Tonic Sol-fa system.
1852. J. Curwen (title), Pupils’ Manual of the Tonic Sol-Fa Method of teaching to sing; and the Tonic Sol-Fa School Music.
1883. American, VI. 174. At the annual meeting in London … of the Tonic Sol-Fa College.
1881. Broadhouse, Mus. Acoustics, 372. We agree most cordially with our friends the tonic sol-faists.
1895. Daily News, 30 Dec., 5/2. So many of the Welsh are Tonic Solfaists.
4. a. Pertaining to musical tone or quality.
1795. Mason, Ch. Mus., i. 42. This solemn instrument [the organ]…. In point of tonic power, I presume, it will be allowed preferable to all others.
b. Pertaining or relating to tone or accent in speech; indicating the tone or accent of spoken words or syllables; characterized by distinctions of tone or accent. Tonic accent (= F. accent tonique), the stress-accent of a word.
1859. S. W. Williams (title), A Tonic Dictionary of the Chinese language in the Canton dialect.
1867. Howells, Ital. Journ., 72. In their divine language, and with that ineffable tonic accent which no foreigner perfectly acquires.
1868. Max Müller, Stratif. Lang., 42. The Thibetan is … tonic and monosyllabic.
1894. A. H. Keane, in Church Mission. Intell., Oct., 723. Thus the monosyllable pa will be toned in six or more different ways to represent so many original dissyllables, pada, pake, pana, pasa, pata … and some of the Chinese and Shan dialects have … as many as ten or twelve such tones…. Hence these languages are now called isolating and tonic rather than isolating and monosyllabic. Ibid. (1896), Ethnol., xii. 324. A far more important feature than the length of the words is their tonic utterance.
B. sb.
1. Med. A tonic medicine, application, or agent.
[1693. trans. Blancard’s Phys. Dict. (ed. 2), Tonica, those things which being externally applied to, and rubb’d into the Limbs, strengthen the Nerves and Tendons.]
1799. Med. Jrnl., II. 116. When … the hectic symptoms were subdued, and only weakness remained, tonics completed the cure.
1875. H. C. Wood, Therap. (1879), 54. Substances … which, when taken internally, act upon the nutrition of the various tissues so as to restore lost tone…. Such substances are known as tonics.
1897. Badminton Mag., IV. 380. My hair tonic costs eight-and-sixpence a bottle.
b. fig. An invigorating or bracing influence.
1840. Clough, Early Poems, i. 8. The tonic of a wholesome pride.
1868. Farrar, Silence & V., viii. (1875), 136. It is the strongest of moral tonics.
2. Mus. = KEY-NOTE 1.
Tonic major or minor: that key (major or minor) which has the same key-note as a given key (minor or major).
1806. Callcott, Mus. Gram., II. iv. 131. The Tonic Minor must have in its Signature another flat.
1889. E. Prout, Harmony, i. § 12. The first note of the scale is called the Tonic, or Key-note. This is the note which gives its name to the scale and key.
Hence Tonic v., trans. to act as a tonic upon, to invigorate, ‘brace up’; to administer a tonic to; whence Tonicking vbl. sb.
1825. New Monthly Mag., XV. 199/1. It tonicked the sedentary stomach into unwonted vigour.
1889. Mrs. C. Praed, Romance Station, 126. She needed … tonicking;… her blood didn’t nourish her brain properly.
