Thesaurus: spirant

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Definitions

1. n. A term used differently by different authorities; -- by some as equivalent to fricative, -- that is, as including all the continuous consonants, except the nasals m, n, ng; with the further exception, by others, of the liquids r, l, and the semivowels w, y; by others limited to f, v, th surd and sonant, and the sound of German ch, -- thus excluding the sibilants, as well as the nasals, liquids, and semivowels. See Guide to Pronunciation, // 197-208.
2. adj. of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as ‘f’, ‘s’, ‘z’, or ‘th’ in both ‘thin’ and ‘then’)
3. n. a continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract
4. A term used differently by different authorities; -- by some as equivalent to fricative, -- that is, as including all the continuous consonants, except the nasals m, n, ng; with the further exception, by others, of the liquids r, l, and the semivowels w, y; by others limited to f, v, th surd and sonant, and the sound of German ch, -- thus excluding the sibilants, as well as the nasals, liquids, and semivowels. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 197-208.
5. A term used differently by different authorities; -- by some asequivalent to fricative, -- that is, as including all the continuousconsonants, except the nasals m, n, ng; with the further exception,by others, of the liquids r, l, and the semivowels w, y; by otherslimited to f, v, th surd and sonant, and the sound of German ch, --thus excluding the sibilants, as well as the nasals, liquids, andsemivowels. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 197-208.
6. n a continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract s of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as `f', `s', `z', or `th' in both `thin' and `then')