delabialize

[ dee-ley-bee-uh-lahyz ]

verb (used with object),de·la·bi·al·ized, de·la·bi·al·iz·ing.
  1. to deprive (a sound) of labial character, as in unrounding a vowel.

verb (used without object),de·la·bi·al·ized, de·la·bi·al·iz·ing.
  1. (of a speech sound) to lose its labial character.

Origin of delabialize

1
First recorded in 1870–75; de- + labialize

Words Nearby delabialize

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024