Aspirate
['æspəreɪt] or ['æspərət]
Definition
(noun.) a consonant pronounced with aspiration.
(verb.) suck in (air).
(verb.) pronounce with aspiration; of stop sounds.
(verb.) remove as if by suction; 'aspirate the wound'.
Inputed by Erma--From WordNet
Definition
(v. t.) To pronounce with a breathing, an aspirate, or an h sound; as, we aspirate the words horse and house; to aspirate a vowel or a liquid consonant.
(n.) A sound consisting of, or characterized by, a breath like the sound of h; the breathing h or a character representing such a sound; an aspirated sound.
(n.) A mark of aspiration (/) used in Greek; the asper, or rough breathing.
(n.) An elementary sound produced by the breath alone; a surd, or nonvocal consonant; as, f, th in thin, etc.
(a.) Alt. of Aspirated
Typist: Ralph
Synonyms and Synonymous
a. Aspirated, toneless, unintonated, atonic, surd, pronounced with a simple breathing, not vocal, without vocality, without tone.
n. Rough breathing.
v. a. Pronounce with an aspirate or rough breathing.
Checker: Sheena
Definition
v.t. to pronounce with a full breathing as the letter h in house.—n. a mark of aspiration the rough breathing in Greek (‛): an aspirated letter.—p.adj. As′perated made harsh.—ns. Aspirā′tion pronunciation of a letter with a full breathing: an aspirated sound (like Gr. ch th &c.): drawing air in; Aspirā′tor an apparatus for drawing air or other gases through bottles or other vessels: (med.) an instrument for removing fluids from the cavities of the body.—adj. Aspīr′atory relating to breathing.—To drop one's aspirates not to pronounce h a mark of imperfect education or humble social standing.
Checked by Harriet
Examples
- In England, Angleterre, England, We Aspirate the “H,” and We Say “Horse. Charles Dickens. Our Mutual Friend.
- This second cousin was a Middlemarch mercer of polite manners and superfluous aspirates. George Eliot. Middlemarch.
- Allow me the H-onour,' said the gentleman with the whiskers, presenting his dexter hand, and aspirating the h. Charles Dickens. The Pickwick Papers.
Checked by Gerald