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aspirations - 2 dictionary results

as⋅pi⋅ra⋅tion

  [as-puh-rey-shuhn]
Use aspirations in a Sentence
–noun
1. strong desire, longing, or aim; ambition: intellectual aspirations.
2. a goal or objective desired: The presidency is the traditional aspiration of young American boys.
3. act of aspirating; breath.
4. Phonetics.
a. articulation accompanied by an audible puff of breath, as in the h-sound of how, or of when (hwen), or in the release of initial stops, as in the k-sound of key.
b. the use of an aspirate in pronunciation.
5. Medicine/Medical.
a. the act of removing a fluid, as pus or serum, from a cavity of the body, by a hollow needle or trocar connected with a suction syringe.
b. the act of inhaling fluid or a foreign body into the bronchi and lungs, often after vomiting.
Origin:
1375–1425; late ME (< MF) < L aspīrātiōn- (s. of aspīrātiō). See aspirate, -ion

Related forms:
as⋅pi⋅ra⋅tion⋅al, adjective

Synonyms:
1. yearning, craving.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To aspirations
as·pi·ra·tion   (ās'pə-rā'shən)   
n.  
  1. Expulsion of breath in speech.
  2. Linguistics
    1. The pronunciation of a consonant with an aspirate.
    2. A speech sound produced with an aspirate.
    3. A strong desire for high achievement.
    4. An object of such desire; an ambition.
  3. The act of breathing in; inhalation.
  4. Medicine The process of removing fluids or gases from the body with a suction device.
    1. A strong desire for high achievement.
    2. An object of such desire; an ambition.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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