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Stimulant vs Tonic - What's the difference?

stimulant | tonic |

As nouns the difference between stimulant and tonic

is that stimulant is a substance that acts to increase physiological or nervous activity in the body while tonic is a substance with medicinal properties intended to restore or invigorate or tonic can be (music) the first note of a scale.

As adjectives the difference between stimulant and tonic

is that stimulant is acting as a while tonic is (physics|pathology) pertaining to tension, especially of muscles or tonic can be (music) pertaining to the keynote of a composition.

stimulant

English

Noun

(wikipedia stimulant) (en noun)
  • A substance that acts to increase physiological or nervous activity in the body.
  • Something that promotes activity, interest, or enthusiasm.
  • Synonyms

    * psychostimulant

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Acting as a .
  • ----

    tonic

    English

    Alternative forms

    * tonick (obsolete)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) . 17th century writers believed health to be derived from firmly stretched muscles, thus tonic''; the extension of ''tonic medicine appeared in the late 18th century.

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (physics, pathology) Pertaining to tension, especially of muscles.
  • * 2009 , Thomas Pynchon, Inherent Vice , Vintage 2010, p. 316:
  • Out in front and across the street, Doc noted half a dozen or so young men, not loitering or doing substances but poised and tonic , as if waiting for some standing order to take effect.
  • Restorative, curative or invigorating.
  • The arrival of the new members had a tonic effect on the team.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A substance with medicinal properties intended to restore or invigorate.
  • We used to brew a tonic from a particular kind of root.
  • Tonic water.
  • (US, Northeastern US) Any of various carbonated, non-alcoholic beverages; soda pop.
  • (figuratively) Something that revitalises or reinvigorates.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=February 5 , author=Paul Fletcher , title=Newcastle 4 - 4 Arsenal , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=The result is the perfect tonic for Newcastle, coming at the end of a week that saw the departure of Andy Carroll to Liverpool on Monday and an injury to Shola Ameobi during Wednesday's defeat at Fulham.}}

    Etymology 2

    From .

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (music) Pertaining to the keynote of a composition.
  • Pertaining to the accent or stress in a word or in speech.
  • Of or relating to tones or sounds; specifically (phonetics, dated) being or relating to a speech sound made with tone unmixed and undimmed by obstruction, i.e. a vowel or diphthong.
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (music) The first note of a scale.
  • (music) The triad built on the tonic note.
  • (phonetics) A tonic element or letter; a vowel or a diphthong.
  • Anagrams

    * ontic ----