sibilant

[ sib-uh-luh nt ]
/ ˈsɪb ə lənt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR sibilant ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

hissing.
Phonetics. characterized by a hissing sound; noting sounds like those spelled with s in this [th is] /ðɪs/, rose [rohz] /roʊz/, pressure [presh-er] /ˈprɛʃ ər/, pleasure [plezh-er] /ˈplɛʒ ər/, and certain similar uses of ch, sh, z, zh, etc.

noun

Phonetics. a sibilant consonant.

Origin of sibilant

1660–70; < Latin sībilant- (stem of sībilāns), present participle of sībilāre to hiss), equivalent to sībil(us) a hissing, whistling (of imitative orig.) + -ant- -ant

OTHER WORDS FROM sibilant

Words nearby sibilant

siberian larkspur, siberian ruby, siberian squill, siberian wallflower, siberite, sibilant, sibilant rale, sibilate, sibirʾ, sibiu, sibling

Words related to sibilant

click, consonant, liquid, phone, sonant, affricate, diphthong, fricative, implosive, plosive, spirant, syllable, vocable

Example sentences from the Web for sibilant

British Dictionary definitions for sibilant

sibilant
/ (ˈsɪbɪlənt) /

adjective

phonetics relating to or denoting the consonants (s, z, / ʃ /, / ʒ /), all pronounced with a characteristic hissing sound
having a hissing sound the sibilant sound of wind among the leaves

noun

a sibilant consonant

Derived forms of sibilant

sibilance or sibilancy, noun sibilantly, adverb

Word Origin for sibilant

C17: from Latin sībilāre to hiss, of imitative origin; compare Greek sizein to hiss

Medical definitions for sibilant

sibilant
[ sĭb′ə-lənt ]

adj.

Of, characterized by, or producing a hissing sound like that of (s) or (sh).