aspirate Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a consonant pronounced with aspiration
  2. verb remove as if by suction
    draw out; suck out.
    • aspirate the wound
  3. verb pronounce with aspiration; of stop sounds
  4. verb suck in (air)

WordNet

As"pi*rate transitive verb
Etymology
L. aspiratus, p. p. of aspirare to breathe toward or upon, to add the breathing h; ad + spirare to breathe, blow. Cf. Aspire.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Aspirated present participle & verbal noun Aspirating
Definitions
  1. 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 noun
Definitions
  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 adjective (Also<
  • Aspirate
  • Aspirated
)
Etymology
L. aspiratus, p. p.
Definitions
  1. Pronounced with the h sound or with audible breath.
    But yet they are not aspirate, i. e., with such an aspiration as h. Holder.

Webster 1913