sibilant

Etymology

From Latin sībilāns, present active participle of sībilō (“I hiss”).

adj

  1. Characterized by a hissing or hushing sound such as the s or sh in sack or shack.

noun

  1. (phonetics) A consonant having a hissing or hushing sound such as the s or sh in sack or shack.
    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

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