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spirant

Syllabification: (spi·rant)
Pronunciation: /ˈspīrənt/
Definition of spirant

adjective

Phonetics
  • (of a consonant) uttered with a continuous expulsion of breath.

noun

  • a spirant consonant; a fricative.

Derivatives

spirantization

Pronunciation: /ˌspīrəntəˈzāSHən/
noun

spirantize

Pronunciation: /-ˌtīz/
verb

Origin:

mid 19th century: from Latin spirant- 'breathing', from the verb spirare

spirant in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of spirant in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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