syllabic

[si-lab-ik]

adjective

of, relating to, or consisting of a syllable or syllables.

pronounced with careful distinction of syllables.

of, relating to, or noting poetry based on a specific number of syllables, as distinguished from poetry depending on stresses or quantities.

(of chanting) having each syllable sung to one note only.

Phonetics.

(of a consonant) forming a syllable by itself, as the (n) in button [buht-n] /ˈbʌt n/ or the (l) in bottle [bot-l] /ˈbɒt l/.
(of a vowel) dominating the other sounds in a syllable; sonantal.

noun

Phonetics. a syllabic sound.

Origin of syllabic

1720–30; < Late Latin syllabicus < Greek syllabikós. See syllable, -ic

Related formssyl·lab·i·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for syllabic

Historical Examples of syllabic

The Chinese have no alphabet, but about 20,000 syllabic characters.
Orthography
Elmer W. Cavins
It may prove that there are some ten sheets on the register under this syllabic title.
Dactylography
Henry Faulds
Compare what was said about syllabic m in § 22, and about syllabic n in § 24.
The Sounds of Spoken English
Walter Rippmann
Japanese is a syllabic language like our own, but, unlike our own, it is not accented.
Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan
Various
These four degrees of syllabic and etymological accent are as follows: 1.
A History of English Versification
Jakob Schipper

British Dictionary definitions for syllabic

syllabic

adjective

of or relating to syllables or the division of a word into syllables

denoting a kind of verse line based on a specific number of syllables rather than being regulated by stresses or quantities

(of a consonant) constituting a syllable

(of plainsong and similar chanting) having each syllable sung to a different note

noun

a syllabic consonant

Derived Formssyllabically, adverb

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

Word Origin and History for syllabic

adj.

1728, from Modern Latin syllabicus, from Greek syllabikos, from syllabe (see syllable).