sibilance
Use Sibilance in a sentence
ə adjective
1.
noun
3.
Phonetics. a sibilant consonant.
Origin:
1660–70; < Latin sībilant- (stem of sībilāns), present participle of sībilāre to hiss), equivalent to sībil(us) a hissing, whistling (of imitative orig.) + -ant- -ant
1660–70; < Latin sībilant- (stem of sībilāns), present participle of sībilāre to hiss), equivalent to sībil(us) a hissing, whistling (of imitative orig.) + -ant- -ant
Related forms
sib·i·lance, sib·i·lan·cy, noun
sib·i·lant·ly, adverb
non·sib·i·lance, noun
non·sib·i·lan·cy, noun
non·sib·i·lant, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To sibilance
00:10
Sibilance
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
sibilant (ˈsɪbɪlənt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | phonetics relating to or denoting the consonants (s, z, //, //), all pronounced with a characteristic hissing sound |
| 2. | having a hissing sound: the sibilant sound of wind among the leaves |
| —n | |
| 3. | a sibilant consonant |
| [C17: from Latin sībilāre to hiss, of imitative origin; compare Greek sizein to hiss] | |
| 'sibilance | |
| —n | |
| 'sibilancy | |
| —n | |
| 'sibilantly | |
| —adv | |
| sibilant (ˈsɪbɪlənt) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | phonetics relating to or denoting the consonants (s, z, //, //), all pronounced with a characteristic hissing sound |
| 2. | having a hissing sound: the sibilant sound of wind among the leaves |
| —n | |
| 3. | a sibilant consonant |
| [C17: from Latin sībilāre to hiss, of imitative origin; compare Greek sizein to hiss] | |
| 'sibilance | |
| —n | |
| 'sibilancy | |
| —n | |
| 'sibilantly | |
| —adv | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
sibilant
1669, from L. sibilantem (nom. sibilans), prp. of sibilare "to hiss, whistle," possibly of imitative origin (cf. Gk. sizein "to hiss," Lett. sikt "to hiss," O.C.S. svistati "to hiss, whistle"). The noun meaning "speech sound having a hissing effect" is from 1788.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
sibilant sib·i·lant (sĭb'ə-lənt)
adj.
Of, characterized by, or producing a hissing sound like that of (s) or (sh).
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
The microphone exaggerates his hissing sibilance and odd emphases.
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