fricative

American  

[frik-uh-tiv] / ˈfrɪk ə tɪv /

adjective

1. (of a speech sound) characterized by audible friction produced by forcing the breath through a constricted or partially obstructed passage in the vocal tract; spirantal; spirant.

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noun

1. Also called spirant.  a fricative consonant, as (th), (v), or (h).

fricative British  

/ ˈfrɪkətɪv /

noun

1. a continuant consonant produced by partial occlusion of the airstream, such as (f) or (z)

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adjective

1. relating to or denoting a fricative

Other Word Forms

• nonfricative adjective
• unfricative adjective

Etymology

Origin of fricative

First recorded in 1855–60; fricat(ion) + -ive

Example Sentences

Gibson pauses before the last word to let a slow fricative sound emanate from his lips — fff — like air escaping from a punctured tire, or a man suppressing a naughty word.

From Washington Post • Nov. 3, 2016

That’s the voiceless velar fricative, and it adds a wonderful percussiveness to “99 Luftbalons.”

From Slate • Nov. 8, 2012

Clinton made it through the speech, but just barely, his voice catching on every fricative by the end.

From Time Magazine Archive

In the South palatal c became a fricative ch.

From Scandinavian influence on Southern Lowland Scotch by Flom, George Tobias

Spirant, spī′rant, n. a consonant which is fricative or continuable—opp. to explosive, esp. v and f, th, dh; by others made to include the sibilants, and the semi-vowels w and y.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various