hypertonic
Americanadjective
-
Physiology. of or relating to hypertonia.
-
Physical Chemistry. noting a solution of higher osmotic pressure than another solution with which it is compared (opposed to hypotonic).
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hypertonic
First recorded in 1850–55; hyperton(ia) + -ic
Compare meaning
How does hypertonic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Vocabulary lists containing hypertonic
Cell Biology - High School
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Chemistry - High School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Andrew has hypertonic cerebral palsy, which means he suffers from tightening muscles and regular spasms.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2024
In fact, the cytoplasm in plants is always slightly hypertonic to the cellular environment, and water will always enter a cell if water is available.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
Would an organism that is constantly in a hypertonic environment likely be an osmoregulator or an osmoconformer?
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
When a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, water leaves the cell because the cell has a higher water potential than the extracellular solution.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
The writer believes that the subsequent treatment of the egg with hypertonic sea-water is needed only to overcome the destructive effects of this partial cytolysis.
From Darwin and Modern Science by Seward, A. C. (Albert Charles)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
