Category:Aspirate

As"pi*rate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Aspirated; p. pr. & vb. n. Aspirating.] Etym: [L. aspiratus, p. p. of aspirare to breathe toward or upon, to add the breathing h; ad + spirare to breathe, blow. Cf. Aspire.]

Defn: To pronounce with a breathing, an aspirate, or an h sound; as, we aspirate the words horse and house; to aspirate a vowel or a liquid consonant.

As"pi*rate, n.

1. A sound consisting of, or characterized by, a breath like the sound of h; the breathing h or a character representing such a sound; an aspirated sound.

2. A mark of aspiration used in Greek; the asper, or rough breathing. Bentley.

3. An elementary sound produced by the breath alone; a surd, or nonvocal consonant; as, f, th in thin, etc.

As"pi*rate, As"pi*ra"ted, a. Etym: [L. aspiratus, p. p.]

Defn: Pronounced with the h sound or with audible breath. But yet they are not aspirate, i. e., with such an aspiration as h. Holder.