labial

[ ley-bee-uhl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

of, relating to, or resembling a labium.
of or relating to the lips.
Phonetics. involving lip articulation, as p, v, m, w, or a rounded vowel.
Music. having the tones produced by the impact of a stream of air on a sharp liplike edge, as in a flute or the flue pipes of an organ.

, Phonetics.

labial

/ ˈleɪbɪəl /

of, relating to, or near lips or labia
music producing sounds by the action of an air stream over a narrow liplike fissure, as in a flue pipe of an organ
phonetics relating to a speech sound whose articulation involves movement or use of the lips
a labial click

Also calledlabial pipe music an organ pipe with a liplike fissure
phonetics a speech sound such as English p or m, whose articulation involves movement or use of the lips

Origin of labial¹

From the Medieval Latin word labiālis, dating back to 1585–95. See labium, -al ¹

Origin of labial¹

C16: from Medieval Latin labiālis, from Latin labium lip

In Adjectives beginning with a Labial or a Palatal, the aspirated form alone is used in the gen. and voc.

Final n is changed into m before a plain Labial; as, am baile the town, am fear the man.

Labial palpi four or five-segmented; asymmetrical (membranous behind), apex acute.

Labial tics of this nature may be styled tics of facial mimicry.

Labial lobes large, oval, contiguous with one another, at the tip of the labrum.

April 18, 2024petrichor

[pet-ri-kawr]

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Browse