obstruent

[ob-stroo-uhnt]

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.

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.

obstruent

/ ˈɒbstrʊənt /

adjective

1. causing obstruction, esp of the intestinal tract

noun

1. anything that causes obstruction

Other Word Forms

• unobstruent adjective
• unobstruently adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of obstruent¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of obstruent¹

C17: from Latin obstruere to _obstruct

Example Sentences

Obstruent—reliable—particularization—fabulosity—different to—averse to—did one ever come across such a mixture of antique pedantry and modern vulgarism!

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