atonic
[ uh-ton-ik, ey-ton- ]
adjective
Phonetics.
Obsolete. voiceless.
Pathology. characterized by atony.
noun
Grammar. an unaccented word, syllable, or sound.
Origin of atonic
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use atonic in a sentence
The elementary sounds of speech are of three natural divisions; the tonics, the subtonics, and the atonics.
The Ontario Readers: The High School Reader, 1886 | Ministry of Education
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
Origin of atonic
1C18: from Latin atonicus, from Greek atonos lacking tone; see atony
Derived forms of atonic
- atonicity (ˌætəˈnɪsɪtɪ, ˌeɪtəʊ-), noun
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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