affricate

noun

af·​fri·​cate ˈa-fri-kət How to pronounce affricate (audio)
: a stop and its immediately following release into a fricative that are considered to constitute a single phoneme (such as the \t\ and \sh\ of \ch\ in choose)
affricative noun or adjective

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Affrikata, borrowed from Latin affricāta, feminine of affricātus, past participle of affricāre "to rub (one thing against another)," from ad- ad- + fricāre "to rub, chafe" — more at friction

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of affricate was in 1876

Dictionary Entries Near affricate

Cite this Entry

“Affricate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affricate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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