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sibilant - 8 dictionary results

sib⋅i⋅lant

[sib-uh-luhnt]
–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


sib⋅i⋅lance, sib⋅i⋅lan⋅cy, noun
sib⋅i⋅lant⋅ly, adverb
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.

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.

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.

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))

sibilant sib·i·lant (sĭb'ə-lənt)
adj.
Of, characterized by, or producing a hissing sound like that of (s) or (sh).

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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