SPIRANT

fricative, continuant, sibilant, spirant, strident

(adjective) of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as ‘f’, ‘s’, ‘z’, or ‘th’ in both ‘thin’ and ‘then’)

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

spirant (plural spirants)

(linguistics, dated) A fricative.

Synonyms

• fricative

Anagrams

• Partins, intraps, spraint

Source: Wiktionary

Spi"rant, n. Etym: [L. spirans, -antis, p. pr. of spirare to breathe. See Spirit.] (Phon.)

Definition: 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, §§ 197-208.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition