spirant

[ spahy-ruhnt ]

See synonyms for spirant on Thesaurus.com

noun

fricative (def. 2).

adjective

Also spi·ran·tal [spahy-ran-tl]. /spaɪˈræn tl/. fricative.

Origin of spirant

1865–70; <Latin spīrant- (stem of spīrāns, present participle of spīrāre to breathe); see spirit, -ant

Words Nearby spirant

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

How to use spirant in a sentence

When the lips are not tightly closed the sound produced is not a stop, but a spirant like the English w.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 1 | Various
spirant, spī′rant, n. a consonant which is fricative or continuable—opp.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) | Various
spirant, v like the ou in French oui, but later approximating to the w heard in some parts of Germany, Ed.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 16, Slice 3 | Various
In twien b 210 from twiga the spirant has disappeared, as in monie b 168.
Selections from Early Middle English 1130-1250: Part II: Notes | Various

British Dictionary definitions for spirant

spirant

/ (ˈspaɪrənt) /

adjective

phonetics another word for fricative

noun

a fricative consonant

Origin of spirant

C19: from Latin spīrāns breathing, from spīrāre to breathe

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

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