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sibilance

 - 5 dictionary results

sib⋅i⋅lant

  [sib-uh-luhnt]
Use sibilance in a Sentence
–adjective
1. hissing.
2. Phonetics. characterized by a hissing sound; noting sounds like those spelled with s in this [this] , rose [rohz] , pressure [presh-er] , pleasure [plezh-er] , and certain similar uses of ch, sh, z, zh, etc.
–noun
3. Phonetics. a sibilant consonant.
Origin:
1660–70; < L sībilant- (s. of sībilāns), prp. of sībilāre to hiss), equiv. to sībil(us) a hissing, whistling (of imit. orig.) + -ant- -ant

Related forms:
sib⋅i⋅lance, sib⋅i⋅lan⋅cy, noun
sib⋅i⋅lant⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To sibilance
sib·i·lant   (sĭb'ə-lənt)   
adj.  Of, characterized by, or producing a hissing sound like that of (s) or (sh): the sibilant consonants; a sibilant bird call.
n.  A sibilant speech sound, such as English (s), (sh), (z), or (zh).

[Latin sībilāns, sībilant-, present participle of sībilāre, to hiss.]
sib'i·lance, sib'i·lan·cy n., sib'i·lant·ly adv.
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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Word Origin & History

sibilant  (adj.)
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, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 2sibilant
Function: noun
: a sibilant speech sound (as English s, z, sh, zh, ch(=t + sh), j(=d + zh))
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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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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