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sibilant

[ sib-uh-luhnt ]
/ ˈsɪb ə lənt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR sibilant

adjective

hissing.
Phonetics. characterized by a hissing sound; noting sounds like those spelled with s in this [this], /ðɪs/, rose [rohz], /roʊz/, pressure [presh-er], /ˈprɛʃ ər/, pleasure [plezh-er], /ˈplɛʒ ər/, and certain similar uses of ch, sh, z, zh, etc.

noun

Phonetics. a sibilant consonant.

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Origin of sibilant

First recorded before 1660–70; from Latin sībilant- (stem of sībilāns ), present participle of sībilāre “to hiss”), equivalent to sībil(us) “a hissing, whistling” (imitative of the sound) + -ant- adjective suffix; see -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

Words related to sibilant

click, consonant, liquid, phone, sonant, affricate, diphthong, fricative, implosive, plosive, spirant, syllable, vocable

Example sentences from the Web for sibilant

British Dictionary definitions for sibilant

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, adverb

Word 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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for sibilant

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.