sonant

American  

[soh-nuhnt] / ˈsoʊ nənt /

adjective

1. sounding; sound; sounding; having sound.

2. Phonetics. voiced (surd ).

---

noun

Phonetics.

1. a speech sound that by itself makes a syllable or subordinates to itself the other sounds sound in the syllable; a syllabic sound (consonant ).

2. a voiced sound (surd ).

3. (in Indo-European) a sonorant.

sonant British  

/ səʊˈnæntəl, ˈsəʊnənt /

adjective

1. phonetics denoting a voiced sound capable of forming a syllable or syllable nucleus

2. inherently possessing, exhibiting, or producing a sound

---

noun

1. phonetics a voiced sound belonging to the class of frictionless continuants or nasals (l, r, m, n, ŋ ) considered from the point of view of being a vowel and, in this capacity, able to form a syllable or syllable nucleus

Other Word Forms

• intersonant adjective
• nonsonant adjective
• sonance noun
• sonantal adjective
• sonantic adjective
• unsonant adjective
• unsonantal adjective

Etymology

Origin of sonant

1840–50; < Latin sonānt- (stem of sonāns ), present participle of sonāre to sound ¹. See son-, -ant

Example Sentences

Dr. Gutheil cautions that no accurate explanation is apt to be simple: more likely in Hinckley's mind was a dis sonant snarl of emotions and delusions, which in concert led him to Washington.

From Time Magazine Archive

Ecce in littera t aliqui ita pingue nescio quid sonant, ut cum dicunt etiam nihil de media syllaba infringant.

From The Roman Pronunciation of Latin Why we use it and how to use it by Lord, Frances Ellen

In its weaving sonant patterns were the detonations of the primeval world he had left; and something strangely disquieting and feminine.

From Melomaniacs by Huneker, James

Non planctus, non moesta sonant suspiria; pectus Singultans mulcet, lachrymantes tergit ocellos.

From Dr. Johnson's Works: Life, Poems, and Tales, Volume 1 The Works of Samuel Johnson, Ll.D., in Nine Volumes by Johnson, Samuel

It is a mute and labial, pronounced solely by the lips, and is distinguished from p by being sonant, that is, produced by the utterance of voice as distinguished from breath.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 3 Atrebates to Bedlis by Various