hypotonic

American  

[hahy-puh-ton-ik] / ˌhaɪ pəˈtɒn ɪk /

adjective

1. Physiology. (of tissue) having less than the normal tone.

2. Physical Chemistry. noting a solution of lower osmotic pressure than another solution with which it is compared (hypertonic ).

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hypotonic British  

/ ˌhaɪpəˈtɒnɪk, ˌhaɪpətəˈnɪsɪtɪ /

adjective

1. pathol (of muscles) lacking normal tone or tension

2. (of a solution) having a lower osmotic pressure than that of a specified, generally physiological, solution Compare hypertonic isotonic

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Other Word Forms

• hypotonicity noun

Etymology

Origin of hypotonic

First recorded in 1890–95; hypo- + tonic

Compare meaning

How does hypotonic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hypertonic vs. hypotonic

Example Sentences

Freshwater fish live in an environment that is hypotonic to their cells.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

As seen in Figure 32.2, a cell placed in water tends to swell due to gain of water from the hypotonic or “low salt” environment.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

The terms isotonic, hypertonic, and hypotonic refer the “strength,” or concentration, of the sugar solute, not the water.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2018

In contrast, a solution that has a lower concentration of solutes than another solution is said to be hypotonic, and water molecules tend to diffuse out of a hypotonic solution.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

During a surgical operation it is of the first importance not to injure the living surfaces by flooding them with strongly hypertonic or hypotonic solutions.

From The Mechanism of Life by Leduc, Stéphane