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atonic

[ uh-ton-ik, ey-ton- ]
/ əˈtɒn ɪk, eɪˈtɒn- /
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adjective
Phonetics.
  1. unaccented.
  2. Obsolete. voiceless.
Pathology. characterized by atony.
noun
Grammar. an unaccented word, syllable, or sound.
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Origin of atonic

1720–30; a-6 + tonic; in pathology sense, aton(y) + -ic

Words nearby atonic

at one stroke, at one's wit's end, at one's word, at one time, at one time or another, atonic, atonicity, atony, atop, atopic, atopy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to atonic

debilitated, disabled, paralyzed, shaking, sick, trembling, arthritic, diseased, helpless, neurasthenic, paralytic, rheumatic, sclerotic, shaky, spastic, tremorous, weak

How to use atonic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for atonic

atonic
/ (eɪˈtɒnɪk, æ-) /
adjective
(of a syllable, word, etc) carrying no stress; unaccented
pathol lacking body or muscle tone
noun
an unaccented or unstressed syllable, word, etc, such as for in food for thought

Derived forms of atonic

atonicity (ˌætəˈnɪsɪtɪ, ˌeɪtəʊ-), noun

Word Origin for atonic

C18: from Latin atonicus, from Greek atonos lacking tone; see atony
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
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