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definitions

consonant

[ kon-suh-nuhnt ]
/ ˈkɒn sə nənt /
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noun

Phonetics.
  1. (in English articulation) a speech sound produced by occluding with or without releasing (p, b; t, d; k, g), diverting (m, n, ng), or obstructing (f, v; s, z, etc.) the flow of air from the lungs (opposed to vowel).
  2. (in a syllable) any sound other than the sound of greatest sonority in the syllable, as b, r, and g in brig (opposed to sonant).Compare vowel(def 1b).
  3. (in linguistic function) a concept empirically determined as a phonological element in structural contrast with vowel, as the b of be, the w of we, the y, s, and t of yeast, etc.
a letter that usually represents a consonant sound.

adjective

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RELATED WORDS

click, consonant, liquid, phone, sonant, affricate, diphthong, fricative, implosive, plosive, sibilant, spirant, syllable, vocable

Nearby words

  1. consols,
  2. consolute,
  3. consomme,
  4. consommé,
  5. consonance,
  6. consonant shift,
  7. consonant system,
  8. consonantal,
  9. consonantal alliteration,
  10. consonantalize

Origin of consonant

1350–1400; Middle English consona(u)nt (< Anglo-French) < Latin consonant- (stem of consonāns, present participle of consonāre to sound with or together). See con-, sonant
Related formscon·so·nant·like, adjectivecon·so·nant·ly, adverbun·con·so·nant, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for consonants

British Dictionary definitions for consonants

consonant

/ (ˈkɒnsənənt) /

noun

a speech sound or letter of the alphabet other than a vowel; a stop, fricative, or continuant

adjective

(postpositive; foll by with or to) consistent; in agreement
harmonious in tone or sound
music characterized by the presence of a consonance
being or relating to a consonant
Derived Formsconsonantly, adverb

Word Origin for consonant

C14: from Latin consonāns, from consonāre to sound at the same time, be in harmony, from sonāre to sound
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Culture definitions for consonants

consonants

Letters of the alphabet that stand for sounds often made with a closed or partially closed mouth: B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Z, and sometimes Y (as in yellow). (Compare vowels.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.