labial
[ ley-bee-uh l ]
/ ˈleɪ bi əl /
|
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.
noun Phonetics.
any labial consonant, especially a bilabial.
any labial sound.
Nearby words
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for labial
British Dictionary definitions for labial
labial
/ (ˈleɪbɪəl) /
adjective
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 lipsa labial click
noun
Also called: labial 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
Derived Formslabiality, nounlabially, adverb
Word Origin for labial
C16: from Medieval Latin labiālis, from Latin labium lip
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for labial
labial
"pertaining to the lips," 1590s, from Medieval Latin labialis "having to do with the lips," from Latin labium "lip" (see lip (n.)). The noun meaning "a labial sound" is from 1660s. Related: Labially.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for labial
labial
[ lā′bē-əl ]
adj.
Relating to the lips or labia.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.