aspirate

American  

[as-puh-reyt, as-per-it] / ˈæs pəˌreɪt, ˈæs pər ɪt /

verb (used with object)

aspirated, aspirating

1. Phonetics.

   1. to articulate (a speech sound, especially a stop) so as to produce an audible puff of breath, as with the first t of total, the second t being unaspirated.

   2. to articulate (the beginning of a word or syllable) with an h -sound, as in which, pronounced (hwich), or hitch as opposed to witch or itch.

2. Medicine/Medical.

   1. to remove (a fluid) from a body cavity by use of an aspirator or suction syringe.

   2. to inhale (fluid or a foreign body) into the bronchi and lungs, often after vomiting.

3. to draw or remove by suction.

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noun

1. Phonetics. a speech sound having as an obvious concomitant an audible puff of breath, as initial stop consonants or initial h -sounds.

2. Medicine/Medical. the substance or contents that have been aspirated.

adjective

1. Phonetics. (of a speech sound) pronounced with or accompanied by aspiration; aspirated.

aspirate British  

verb

1. phonetics

   1. to articulate (a stop) with some force, so that breath escapes with audible friction as the stop is released

   2. to pronounce (a word or syllable) with an initial h

2. to draw in or remove by inhalation or suction, esp to suck (air or fluid) from a body cavity or to inhale (fluid) into the lungs after vomiting

3. to supply air to (an internal-combustion engine)

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noun

1. phonetics

   1. a stop pronounced with an audible release of breath

   2. the glottal fricative represented in English and several other languages as h

adjective

1. phonetics (of a stop) pronounced with a forceful and audible expulsion of breath

Other Word Forms

• nonaspirate noun
• nonaspirated adjective
• nonaspirating adjective
• unaspirated adjective

Etymology

Origin of aspirate

First recorded in 1660–70; from Latin aspīrātus “breathed upon” (past participle of aspīrāre ); aspire, -ate ¹

Explanation

To aspirate is to exhale or breathe air out as you speak. Many languages include word sounds that require the speaker to aspirate. Many speakers aspirate as they pronounce certain sounds, and in linguistics or speech therapy, it's a common term. In medicine, to aspirate is something very different — it means to suck or breathe in, often in a dangerous way. Someone who drowns, for example, aspirates water as they struggle. The Latin root is aspirare, "to breathe upon, blow upon, or breathe."

Example Sentences

If you are gargling at the same time that you are hiccupping, you might aspirate water.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 13, 2023

Ms Butterworth noted Child I's swollen tummy and asked Ms Letby to aspirate her nasogastric feeding tube, which obtained a "fair amount of air" and 2ml of milk.

From BBC • Jan. 26, 2023

Numerous studies suggest clinical improvement in knee osteoarthritis using PRP, micro-fragmented adipose tissue transfer and bone marrow aspirate.

From Washington Post • Nov. 5, 2021

We could not hurry; if we did, he might aspirate what was in his mouth.

From Salon • Jun. 16, 2019

His French inability to aspirate an "h," a pronounced stutter, and the most nonchalant disregard of gender, formed a combination which was enough to upset the gravity of a German customs house official himself!

From Confessions of an Opera Singer by Howard, Kathleen