consonant

²consonant

noun

Definition of CONSONANT

: one of a class of speech sounds (as \p\, \g\, \n\, \l\, \s\, \r\) characterized by constriction or closure at one or more points in the breath channel; also : a letter representing a consonant —usually used in English of any letter except a, e, i, o, and u

Origin of CONSONANT

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin consonant-, consonans, from present participle of consonare

First Known Use: 14th century

Other Alphabet Terms

cuneiform, linear, minuscule, pictograph, rune, symbology, wedge