Word Study
fricative
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun fricative has 1 sense
- fricative(n = noun.communication) fricative consonant, spirant - a continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract; Array is a kind of continuant, continuant consonant
has particulars: sibilant, sibilant consonant
Adjective fricative has 1 sense
- fricative(s = adj.all) continuant, sibilant, spirant, strident - of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as `f', `s', `z', or `th' in both `thin' and `then'); Array
CIDE DICTIONARY
fricative, a. [See Frication.].
Produced by the friction or rustling of the breath, intonated or unintonated, through a narrow opening between two of the mouth organs; uttered through a close approach, but not with a complete closure, of the organs of articulation, and hence capable of being continued or prolonged; -- said of certain consonantal sounds, as f, v, s, z, etc. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
fricative, adj. & n. Phonet.
--adj. made by the friction of breath in a narrow opening.
--n. a consonant made in this way, e.g. f and th.
--adj. made by the friction of breath in a narrow opening.
--n. a consonant made in this way, e.g. f and th.
Etymology
mod.L fricativus f. L fricare rub
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