Hypertext Webster Gateway: "spirant"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Spirant \Spi"rant\, n. [L. spirans, -antis, p. pr. of spirare to
breathe. See {Spirit}.] (Phon.)
A term used differently by different authorities; -- by some
as equivalent to fricative, -- that is, as including all the
continuous consonants, except the nasals m, n, ng; with the
further exception, by others, of the liquids r, l, and the
semivowels w, y; by others limited to f, v, th surd and
sonant, and the sound of German ch, -- thus excluding the
sibilants, as well as the nasals, liquids, and semivowels.
See Guide to Pronunciation, [sect][sect] 197-208.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
spirant
adj : produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as
`f'. `s', `z', or `th' (in both `thin' and `then'))
[syn: {fricative}, {sibilant}]
n : a continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a
narrowing of the vocal tract [syn: {fricative consonant},
{fricative}]
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