aspirate

Pronunciation

• noun and adjective
  • (UK) (US) IPA ^(key): /ˈæs.pər.ət/ or /ˈæs.pɪ.rət/ or /ˈæs.pə.rɪt/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• verb
  • (UK) IPA ^(key): /ˈæs.pər.eɪt/ or /ˈæs.pɪ.reɪt/
  • (US) IPA ^(key): /ˈæs.pə.reɪt/ or /ˈæs.pɪ.reɪt/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• (UK) Hyphenation: as‧pir‧ate
• (US) Hyphenation: as‧pi‧rate

Noun

Singular aspirate

Plural aspirates

1. (linguistics) An aspirate is the puff of air that accompanies the release of a plosive consonant.
2. (linguistics) An aspirate is the sound produced by such a puff of air.

Verb

Plain form aspirate

Third-person singular aspirates

Past tense aspirated

Past participle aspirated

Present participle aspirating

1. (transitive) If you aspirate, you remove a liquid or gas by means of suction.
2. (transitive) If you aspirate, you inhale so as to draw something other than air into one's lungs.
3. (linguistics) If you aspirate, you produce an audible puff of breath, especially following a consonant.