CONTINUANT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does continuant mean? 

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

1. consonant articulated by constricting (but not closing) the vocal tract

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

• CONTINUANT (adjective)
  The adjective CONTINUANT has 1 sense:

1. of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as 'f', 's', 'z', or 'th' in both 'thin' and 'then')

  Familiarity information: CONTINUANT used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CONTINUANT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Consonant articulated by constricting (but not closing) the vocal tract

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

continuant; continuant consonant

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

obstruent (a consonant that is produced with a partial or complete blockage of the airflow from the lungs through the nose or mouth)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "continuant"):

fricative; fricative consonant; spirant (a continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract)

• CONTINUANT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as 'f', 's', 'z', or 'th' in both 'thin' and 'then')

Synonyms:

continuant; fricative; sibilant; spirant; strident

Similar:

soft ((of speech sounds); produced with the back of the tongue raised toward the hard palate; characterized by a hissing or hushing sound (as 's' and 'sh'))

Derivation:

continuance (the property of enduring or continuing in time)