SPIRANT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does spirant mean? 

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

1. a continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract

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

• SPIRANT (adjective)
  The adjective SPIRANT 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: SPIRANT used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SPIRANT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

fricative; fricative consonant; spirant

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

continuant; continuant consonant (consonant articulated by constricting (but not closing) the vocal tract)

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

sibilant; sibilant consonant (a consonant characterized by a hissing sound (like s or sh))

• SPIRANT (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'))