Synonyms

fricative

American

[frik-uh-tiv] / ˈfrɪk ə tɪv /

adjective

(of a speech sound) characterized by audible friction produced by forcing the breath through a constricted or partially obstructed passage in the vocal tract; spirantal; spirant.

noun

Also called spirant. a fricative consonant, as (th), (v), or (h).

fricative British

/ ˈfrɪkətɪv /

noun

a continuant consonant produced by partial occlusion of the airstream, such as (f) or (z)

"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

adjective

relating to or denoting a fricative

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of fricative

First recorded in 1855–60; fricat(ion) + -ive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023