bilabial

American  

[bahy-ley-bee-uhl] / baɪˈleɪ bi əl /

adjective

1. produced with the lips close together or touching: the lips touch at one phase of the production of the bilabial consonants p, b, and m; they do not for the bilabial w.

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noun

1. a bilabial speech sound.

bilabial British  

/ baɪˈleɪbɪəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or denoting a speech sound articulated using both lips

   (p) is a bilabial stop, (w) a bilabial semivowel

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noun

1. a bilabial speech sound

Etymology

Origin of bilabial

First recorded in 1860–65; bi- ¹ + labial

Example Sentences

The w in Dutch is mostly labiodental; in the eastern parts before vowels bilabial pronunciation is heard.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 8 "Dubner" to "Dyeing" by Various

Be this as it may, the value of the symbol in Greek was w, a bilabial voiced sound, not the labio-dental unvoiced sound which we call f.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 1 "Evangelical Church Conference" to "Fairbairn, Sir William" by Various