sibilant
[ sib-uh-luh nt ]
/ ˈsɪb ə lənt /
adjective
noun
Phonetics. a sibilant consonant.
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Origin of sibilant
1660–70; < Latin sībilant- (stem of sībilāns), present participle of sībilāre to hiss), equivalent to sībil(us) a hissing, whistling (of imitative orig.) + -ant- -ant
OTHER WORDS FROM sibilant
Words nearby sibilant
siberian larkspur, siberian ruby, siberian squill, siberian wallflower, siberite, sibilant, sibilant rale, sibilate, sibirʾ, sibiu, sibling
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for sibilance
British Dictionary definitions for sibilance
sibilant
/ (ˈsɪbɪlənt) /
adjective
phonetics relating to or denoting the consonants (s, z, / ʃ /, / ʒ /), all pronounced with a characteristic hissing sound
having a hissing soundthe sibilant sound of wind among the leaves
noun
a sibilant consonant
Derived forms of sibilant
sibilance or sibilancy, nounsibilantly, adverbWord Origin for sibilant
C17: from Latin sībilāre to hiss, of imitative origin; compare Greek sizein to hiss
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical definitions for sibilance
sibilant
[ sĭb′ə-lənt ]
adj.
Of, characterized by, or producing a hissing sound like that of (s) or (sh).
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.