Hypertext Webster Gateway: "surd"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Surd \Surd\, a. [L. surdus deaf (whence the meaning, deaf to
reason, irrational), perhaps akin to E. swart. Cf.
{Sordine}.]
1. Net having the sense of hearing; deaf. [Obs.] ``A surd . .
. generation.'' --Sir T. Browne.
2. Unheard. [Obs.] --Kenrick.
3. (Math.) Involving surds; not capable of being expressed in
rational numbers; radical; irrational; as, a surd
expression or quantity; a surd number.
4. (Phonetics) Uttered, as an element of speech, without
tone, or proper vocal sound; voiceless; unintonated;
nonvocal; atonic; whispered; aspirated; sharp; hard, as f,
p, s, etc.; -- opposed to sonant. See Guide to
Pronunciation, [sect][sect]169, 179, 180.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Surd \Surd\, n. (Math.)
1. A quantity which can not be expressed by rational numbers;
thus, [root]2 is a surd.
2. (Phon.) A surd element of speech. See {Surd}, a., 4.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
surd
adj : (linguistics) of speech sounds [syn: {voiceless}, {unvoiced}]
[ant: {sonant}]
n : a consonant produced without sound from the vocal cords
[syn: {voiceless consonant}]
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