APHESIS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does aphesis mean? 

• APHESIS (noun)
  The noun APHESIS has 1 sense:

1. the gradual disappearance of an initial (usually unstressed) vowel or syllable as in 'squire' for 'esquire'

  Familiarity information: APHESIS used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• APHESIS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The gradual disappearance of an initial (usually unstressed) vowel or syllable as in 'squire' for 'esquire'

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Hypernyms ("aphesis" is a kind of...):

deletion; omission (any process whereby sounds or words are left out of spoken words or phrases)

Derivation:

aphetic (produced by aphesis)