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
spirant (plural spirants)
(linguistics, dated) A fricative.
• fricative
• 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
5 April 2025
(noun) an unofficial association of people or groups; “the smart set goes there”; “they were an angry lot”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
