Spirant

Common synonyms include: continuant, fricative, fricative, fricative consonant, sibilant, strident.

/ˈspaɪɹənt/ noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
A non-sibilant fricative. dated
"Spirant consonants are those in which the mouth passage is simply narrowed without any actual contact."
2
a continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract wordnet

Adjective

1
of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as ‘f’, ‘s’, ‘z’, or ‘th’ in both ‘thin’ and ‘then’) wordnet

"Ef was probably a bilabial, not a labiodental spirant, as is also evident from Goth."

From Latin spirans, present participle of spīrō (“I blow”). Compare inspire, expire, respiration, etc.