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sibilant - 8 dictionary results
sib⋅i⋅lant
[sib-uh-luh
nt] 
–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
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.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To sibilant
| 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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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Sibilant
Sib"i*lant\, a. [L. sibilans, -antis, p. pr. of sibilare to hiss: cf. F. sibilant.] Making a hissing sound; uttered with a hissing sound; hissing; as, s, z, sh, and zh, are sibilant elementary sounds. -- n. A sibiliant letter.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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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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Main Entry: 1sib·i·lant
Pronunciation: 'sib-&-l&nt
Function: adjective
: having, containing, or producing the sound of or asound resembling that of the s or sh in sash sibilant speech sound> <sibilant breathing> <sibilant rales>
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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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.
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sibilant
in phonetics, a fricative consonant sound, in which the tip, or blade, of the tongue is brought near the roof of the mouth and air is pushed past the tongue to make a hissing sound. In English s, z, sh, and zh (the sound of the s in "pleasure") are sibilants. Sometimes the affricates ch and j are also considered as sibilants. See also fricative.
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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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