Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia.
Obstructing or closing natural openings or passages of the body.
1. An obstruent medicine or agent.
2. Linguistics A sound, such as a stop, fricative, or affricate, that is produced with complete blockage or at least partial constriction of the airflow through the nose or mouth.
[Latin obstruēns, obstruent-, present participle of obstruere, to obstruct; see obstruct.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
(Medicine) causing obstruction, esp of the intestinal tract
(Medicine) anything that causes obstruction
[C17: from Latin obstruere to obstruct]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ob•stru•ent(ˈɒb stru ənt)
1. (of a speech sound) characterized by stoppage or obstruction of the flow of air from the lungs.n.
2. an obstruent speech sound; a stop, fricative, or affricate. Compare resonant (def. 7).
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Switch to new thesaurus
|Noun||1.||obstruent - a consonant that is produced with a partial or complete blockage of the airflow from the lungs through the nose or mouth|
consonant - a speech sound that is not a vowel
occlusive, plosive, plosive consonant, plosive speech sound, stop consonant, stop - a consonant produced by stopping the flow of air at some point and suddenly releasing it; "his stop consonants are too aspirated"
continuant, continuant consonant - consonant articulated by constricting (but not closing) the vocal tract
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.