What is "atonic"

Atones \At*ones\, adv. [See At one.] [Obs.] Down he fell atones as a stone. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster] Atonic \A*ton"ic\, a. [Cf. F. atonique. See Atony.]

1. (Med.) Characterized by atony, or lack of vital energy; as, an atonic disease.

2. (Gram.) Unaccented; as, an atonic syllable.

3. Destitute of tone vocality; surd.
   --Rush.

Atonic \A*ton"ic\, n.

1. (Gram.) A word that has no accent.

2. An element of speech entirely destitute of vocality, or produced by the breath alone; a nonvocal or surd consonant; a breathing.
   --Rush.

3. (Med.) A remedy capable of allaying organic excitement or irritation.
   --Dunglison.

a. 1 (context of a sound or syllable English) unstressed 2 (context pathology English) Lacking muscle tone. 3 (context medicine English) Characterized by atony, or want of vital energy.

1. adj. characterized by a lack of tonus

2. used of syllables; "an atonic syllable carries no stress" [syn: unaccented] [ant: tonic]

Atonic may refer to:

In music:

• Atonality, lack of a key or tonal center

In medicine:

• Atony, a muscle losing its strength

In linguistics:

• Atonic or unaccented, a syllable without stress or pitch accent

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