Cardiotonic
/ˌkɑːr.di.oʊˈtɒn.ɪk/noun
A substance or drug that strengthens the action of the heart.
Did you know?The first element comes from Greek kardia, the same ancient root behind words like cardiac and cardiogram, while the second comes from tonos, originally a “stretch” or “tension” that later came to mean tone and vitality.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kardía
“heart”
Ancient Greek
Greek
tónos
“stretch, tension, tone”
Late Latin
Latin
cardiotonĭcus
“pertaining to strengthening the heart”
Modern Scientific English
English
cardiotonic
“an agent that strengthens the heart's action”