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Webster 1913 Edition
Sibilant
Sib′i-lant
,Adj.
 [L. 
sibilans
, -antis
, p. pr. of sibilare 
to hiss: cf. F. sibilant
.] Making a hissing sound; uttered with a hissing sound; hissing; 
– as, s, z, sh, and zh, are 
. sibilant 
elementary soundsNoun.
 A sibiliant letter.
 Webster 1828 Edition
Sibilant
SIB'ILANT
,Adj.
  SIB'ILANT
,Noun.
  Definition 2025
sibilant
sibilant
English
Adjective
sibilant (comparative more sibilant, superlative most sibilant)
-  Characterized by a hissing sound such as the "s" or "sh" in sash or surge.
-  1960: Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird
-  She had a curious habit of prefacing everything she said with a soft sibilant sound.
 "S-s-s Grace," she said, "it's just like I was telling Brother Hutson the other day. 'S-s-s Brother Hutson,' I said, 'looks like we're fighting a losing battle, a losing battle.' I said."
 
-  She had a curious habit of prefacing everything she said with a soft sibilant sound.
 
-  1960: Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird
Derived terms
Translations
characterized by a hissing sound
Noun
sibilant (plural sibilants)
-  (phonetics) A consonant having a hissing sound such as the 's' or 'sh' in 'sash' or 'surge'.
-  1955: H. A. Gleason, An Introduction to Descriptive Linguistics, page 194, section 14.7
- Groove fricatives all have more or less of an [s]-like quality, and are for this reason sometimes called sibilants.
 
 
-  1955: H. A. Gleason, An Introduction to Descriptive Linguistics, page 194, section 14.7
Derived terms
Synonyms
- (phonetics): groove fricative
Translations
phonetics: a hissing sound
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Related terms
Dutch
Pronunciation
Hyphenation: si‧bi‧lant
Noun
sibilant c (plural sibilanten, diminutive sibilantje n)