spirant Hear it!

spirant definition

spi·rant (spī′rənt)

noun

Phonet. a consonantal sound, as (s̸h) or (v), produced by the passage of breath through the partially closed oral cavity; fricative

Etymology: < L spirans, prp. of spirare, to breathe: see spirit

adjective

having the nature of a spirant; fricative

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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