Category:Labial

La"bi*al, a. Etym: [LL. labialis, fr. L. labium lip: cf. F. labial. See Lip.]

1. Of or pertaining to the lips or labia; as, labial veins.

2. (Mus.)

Defn: Furnished with lips; as, a labial organ pipe.

3. (Phonetics) (a) Articulated, as a consonant, mainly by the lips, as b, p, m, w. (b) Modified, as a vowel, by contraction of the lip opening, as oo (food), o (old), etc., and as eu and u in French, and ö, ü in German. See Guide to Pronunciation,

4. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Of or pertaining to the labium; as, the labial palpi of insects. See Labium.

labial La"bi*al, n.

1. (Phonetics)

Defn: A letter or character representing an articulation or sound formed or uttered chiefly with the lips, as b, p, w.

2. (Mus.)

Defn: An organ pipe that is furnished with lips; a flue pipe.

3. (Zoöl.)

Defn: One of the scales which border the mouth of a fish or reptile.