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

Thus the Latin vowels were named by simply uttering their sounds; the mute consonants and h by uttering a vowel after them, and the so-called nasal and fricative consonants by uttering a vowel before them.

From Latin Pronunciation A Short Exposition of the Roman Method by Peck, Harry Thurston

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