fricative — English Dictionary

Noun

1. Any of several speech sounds produced by air flowing through a constriction in the oral cavity and typically producing a sibilant, hissing, or buzzing quality; a fricative consonant.

   Broader terms

   obstruent

   Examples

   Watt listened for a time, for the voice was far from unmelodious. The fricatives in particular were pleasing.

Adjective

1. produced by air flowing through a restriction in the oral cavity.

   Related words

   frictionaffricateapproximantlateralnasalplosivesibilant

Adjective

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

   Synonyms

   continuantsibilantspirantstrident

Noun

1. a continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract

   Synonyms

   fricative consonantspirant

   Broader terms

   continuant consonantcontinuant