labial

[ ley-bee-uhl ]
/ 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.

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Origin of labial

From the Medieval Latin word labiālis, dating back to 1585–95. See labium, -al1

OTHER WORDS FROM labial

Words nearby labial

labellist, labellum, labetalol, labetalol hydrochloride, labia, labial, labial artery, labial hernia, labialism, labialize, labialized
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences 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 forms of labial

labiality, 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

Medical 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.