aspirate

1 of 2

noun

as·​pi·​rate ˈa-sp(ə-)rət How to pronounce aspirate (audio)
1
: an independent sound \h\ or a character (such as the letter h) representing it
2
: a consonant having aspiration as its final component
in English the \p\ of pit is an aspirate
3
: material removed by aspiration

aspirate

2 of 2

verb

as·​pi·​rate ˈa-spə-ˌrāt How to pronounce aspirate (audio)
aspirated; aspirating

transitive verb

1
: to pronounce (a vowel or a consonant) with aspiration (see aspiration sense 3a)
2
a
: to draw by suction
b
: to remove (something such as blood) by aspiration
c
: to take into the lungs by aspiration

Examples of aspirate in a Sentence

Noun The word “hour” is not pronounced with an aspirate. Verb The letter “h” in “house” is aspirated, but the “h” in “hour” is not. She began coughing when she aspirated some orange juice.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
According to veterinary oncologists, a fine needle aspirate to see what kinds of cells it’s made of is almost always in order in these cases. Dr. Patty Khuly, miamiherald, 5 July 2018
Verb
The original’s naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V-12 has transformed over the years, however, and now produces up to 769 hp and 531 ft lbs of torque—as compared to the 690 hp and 509 ft lbs of torque from the LP 700-4 of 2011. Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 So long, Hemi, hello inline 6 After more than 20 years as a mainstay of Dodge and Ram pickups, the 5.7L naturally aspirated Hemi V8 engine is missing from the 2025 Ram 1500. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 22 Feb. 2024 Ferrari built six factory cars and five customer versions, each featuring a new 2-liter, naturally aspirated inline-four—an engine developed by Ferrari engineer Aurelio Lampredi. Howard Walker, Robb Report, 15 Feb. 2024 Her son, Max, had overdosed on opioids, aspirated vomit and fallen into a coma. Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024 Germany automaker Audi decided to stop producing its potent, naturally aspirated 10-cylinder R8 supercar this year after introducing the model to American drivers in 2008. Morgan Korn, ABC News, 9 Dec. 2023 The person is also more likely to aspirate food or bacteria into their lungs, which can lead to pneumonia. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2023 Falling and aspirating food and getting pneumonia — all these subtle ways that get you. Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Nov. 2023 The factory decided on a 5.5 L naturally aspirated V10, having designed a 3.5 L V10 (that never raced) for Formula 1. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 16 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aspirate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin aspiratus, past participle of aspirare

First Known Use

Noun

1617, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1700, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aspirate was in 1617

Dictionary Entries Near aspirate

Cite this Entry

“Aspirate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aspirate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

aspirate

1 of 2 verb
as·​pi·​rate ˈas-pə-ˌrāt How to pronounce aspirate (audio)
aspirated; aspirating
1
: to pronounce with an initial \h\
2
: to remove (as blood) by suction

aspirate

2 of 2 noun
as·​pi·​rate ˈas-p(ə-)rət How to pronounce aspirate (audio)
: the sound \h\ or a letter or symbol representing it

Medical Definition

aspirate

1 of 2 transitive verb
as·​pi·​rate ˈas-pə-ˌrāt How to pronounce aspirate (audio)
aspirated; aspirating
1
: to draw by suction
2
: to remove (as blood) by aspiration
the portal vein is exposed and blood is aspirated with a 50-ml. syringeBiological Abstracts
3
: inhale
aspirated material into the respiratory tractAnesthesia Digest

aspirate

2 of 2 noun
as·​pi·​rate ˈas-p(ə-)ret How to pronounce aspirate (audio)
: material removed by aspiration

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