What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Tonic vs Serum - What's the difference?

tonic | serum |

As nouns the difference between tonic and serum

is that tonic is a substance with medicinal properties intended to restore or invigorate while serum is the clear yellowish fluid obtained upon separating whole blood into its solid and liquid components after it has been allowed to clot. Also called blood serum.

As an adjective tonic

is pertaining to tension, especially of muscles.

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 ----

    serum

    English

    (wikipedia serum)

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • The clear yellowish fluid obtained upon separating whole blood into its solid and liquid components after it has been allowed to clot. Also called blood serum.
  • Blood serum from the tissues of immunized animals, containing antibodies and used to transfer immunity to another individual, called antiserum.
  • A watery fluid from animal tissue, especially one that moistens the surface of serous membranes or that is exuded by such membranes when they become inflamed, such as in edema or a blister.
  • The watery portion of certain animal fluids, as blood, milk, etc; whey.
  • (skincare) An intensive moisturising product to be applied after cleansing but before a general moisturiser.
  • Derived terms

    * antiserum * blood serum * immune serum * serous * serum sickness * truth serum