obstruent

[ ob-stroo-uhnt ]
See synonyms for obstruent on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. Medicine/Medical. (of a substance) producing an obstruction.

  2. Phonetics. (of a speech sound) characterized by stoppage or obstruction of the flow of air from the lungs.: Compare sonorant.

noun
  1. Medicine/Medical. a medicine that closes the natural passages of the body.

  2. Phonetics. an obstruent speech sound; a stop, fricative, or affricate.: Compare sonorant (def. 2).

Origin of obstruent

1
1660–70; <Latin obstruent- (stem of obstruēns, present participle of obstruere); see obstruct, -ent

Other words from obstruent

  • un·ob·stru·ent, adjective
  • un·ob·stru·ent·ly, adverb

Words Nearby obstruent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for obstruent

obstruent

/ (ˈɒbstrʊənt) med /


adjective
  1. causing obstruction, esp of the intestinal tract

noun
  1. anything that causes obstruction

Origin of obstruent

1
C17: from Latin obstruere to obstruct

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