fricative

noun

fric·a·tive ˈfri-kə-tiv

: a consonant characterized by frictional passage of the expired breath through a narrowing at some point in the vocal tract

fricative adjective

Examples of fricative in a Sentence

The sounds v θ ð s z ʃ ʒ h/ are English fricatives.

Recent Examples on the Web The plosives and fricatives of a complex word, the specific place your lips meet or don't to shape and push out a puff of air that carries a sound. —

Julie Muncy, Wired, 5 Feb. 2020

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