tonus

[ toh-nuhs ]
See synonyms for tonus on Thesaurus.com
nounPhysiology.
  1. a normal state of continuous slight tension in muscle tissue that facilitates its response to stimulation.

Origin of tonus

1
1875–80; <New Latin, special use of Latin tonus<Greek tónostone

Words Nearby tonus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tonus in a sentence

  • And, of course, one should feel something if it is no more than the tonus of muscle against the mobile bones.

    Instinct | George Oliver Smith
  • The tonus of the muscles at the moment of examination may create differences inappreciable during relaxation.

  • This tonus is essential to the maintenance of an equalized circulation.

    Arteriosclerosis and Hypertension: | Louis Marshall Warfield
  • He drove powerfully with his wings, felt tonus across his back, shot forward and up.

    Keep Your Shape | Robert Sheckley
  • The moral tonus of the place will be let down appreciably; general laxness will be the rule.

    Criminal Types | V. M. Masten

British Dictionary definitions for tonus

tonus

/ (ˈtəʊnəs) /


noun
  1. physiol the normal tension of a muscle at rest; tone

Origin of tonus

1
C19: from Latin, from Greek tonos tone

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012