pretonic

adjective

pre·​ton·​ic ˌprē-ˈtä-nik How to pronounce pretonic (audio)
of a vowel or syllable
: immediately preceding a syllable having stress or accent

Word History

Etymology

pre- + tonic entry 2

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pretonic was in 1840

Dictionary Entries Near pretonic

Cite this Entry

“Pretonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretonic. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!