spirant

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: spi=rant

CIDE DICTIONARY

spirant, n. [L. spirans, -antis, p. pr. of spirare to breathe. See Spirit.].

 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, 1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

spirant, adj. & n. Phonet.
--adj. (of a consonant) uttered with a continuous expulsion of breath, esp. fricative.
--n. such a consonant.

Etymology

L spirare spirant- breathe