Library / English Dictionary

SIBILANT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A consonant characterized by a hissing sound (like s or sh)

Synonyms:

sibilant; sibilant consonant

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("sibilant" is a kind of...):

fricative; fricative consonant; spirant (a continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract)

Derivation:

assibilate (change into a sibilant)

assibilate (insert a sibilant sound before or after (another sound))

sibilant (of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as 'f', 's', 'z', or 'th' in both 'thin' and 'then'))

sibilate (express or utter with a hiss)

sibilate (utter a sibilant)

sibilate (pronounce with an initial sibilant)

 II. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as 'f', 's', 'z', or 'th' in both 'thin' and 'then')

Synonyms:

continuant; fricative; sibilant; spirant; strident

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

soft ((of speech sounds); produced with the back of the tongue raised toward the hard palate; characterized by a hissing or hushing sound (as 's' and 'sh'))

Derivation:

sibilant (a consonant characterized by a hissing sound (like s or sh))

sibilate (make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval)

sibilate (utter a sibilant)

sibilate (pronounce with an initial sibilant)

Credits