Dictionary.com
definitions

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.

RELATED CONTENT

Why do sounds close to “mama” appear in so many languages?Mother, maman, mommy, amma, mama, em, mum, mamma, mutter, mare, maty, ana . . . Across languages an uncanny pattern appears for the word “mother.” Why? Is it evidence of universal language? Is this evidence of sound symbolism at work, when a phoneme (sound) has meaning completely unto itself? If you are a linguist, baby talk is not a cute and meaning-lite semi-language used with …
READ MORE

Nearby words

  1. labetalol hydrochloride,
  2. labia,
  3. labia majora,
  4. labia minora,
  5. labia oris,
  6. labial artery,
  7. labial hernia,
  8. labial splint,
  9. labial vein,
  10. labialism

Origin of labial

From the Medieval Latin word labiālis, dating back to 1585–95. See labium, -al1
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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for labial

labial

adj.

"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.