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isotonic

American  
[ahy-suh-ton-ik] / ˌaɪ səˈtɒn ɪk /

adjective

  1. Physical Chemistry. Also noting or pertaining to solutions characterized by equal osmotic pressure.

  2. Physiology.

    1. noting or pertaining to a solution containing the same salt concentration as mammalian blood.

    2. noting or pertaining to a muscular contraction in which constant tension continues while the length of the muscle decreases, as during mechanical work.

  3. Music. of or characterized by equal tones.


isotonic British  
/ ˌaɪsəʊˈtɒnɪk, ˌaɪsəʊtəʊˈnɪsɪtɪ /

adjective

  1. physiol (of two or more muscles) having equal tension

  2. (of a drink) designed to replace the fluid and salts lost from the body during strenuous exercise

  3. Also: isosmotic.  (of two solutions) having the same osmotic pressure, commonly having physiological osmotic pressure Compare hypertonic hypotonic

  4. music of, relating to, or characterized by the equal intervals of the well-tempered scale

    isotonic tuning

"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

Other Word Forms

  • isotonicity noun

Etymology

Origin of isotonic

1820–30; < Greek isóton ( os ) having equal accent or tone ( iso-, tone ) + -ic

Vocabulary lists containing isotonic

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.

Many marine invertebrates have internal salt levels matched to their environments, making them isotonic with the water in which they live.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Both of the regular intravenous solutions administered in medicine, normal saline and lactated Ringer’s solution, are isotonic.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Sports drinks can be divided into hypotonic, isotonic, and hypertonic.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

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

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2018

It may be objected that segmentation is also produced by a solution which is isotonic with sea water.

From The Mechanism of Life by Leduc, Stéphane