[uh-prok-suh-muh
nt] 
| 1. | an articulation in which one articulator is close to another, but not sufficiently so to form a stop or a fricative. |
| 2. | a sound characterized by such an articulation, as (w), (y), (r), (l), or a vowel. |
| ap·prox·i·mant (ə-prŏk'sə-mənt) n. A speech sound, such as a glide or liquid, produced by narrowing but not blocking the vocal tract, as by placing an articulator, such as the tongue, near another part of the vocal tract. |
approximant
in phonetics, a sound that is produced by bringing one articulator in the vocal tract close to another without, however, causing audible friction (see fricative). Approximants include semivowels, such as the y sound in "yes" or the w sound in "war."
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