1. Of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as 'f', 's', 'z', or 'th' in both 'thin' and 'then')
   "The word 'fish' begins with a spirant sound";
   - fricative, continuant, sibilant, strident

1. A continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract
   "The 'f' sound in 'fish' is a spirant";
   - fricative consonant, fricative

Derived forms: spirants

See also: soft

Type of: continuant, continuant consonant

Encyclopedia: Spirant