aspirate

What it means

1. human sciencesThe puff of air accompanying the release of a plosive or fricative consonant.
2. human sciencesA sound produced by such a puff of air.

   We now come to the so-called aspirate [h], which must be also classified as a fricative consonant.

   1972, Leonard R. Palmer, Descriptive and Comparative Linguistics, page 50

3. A mark of aspiration (ʽ) used in Greek; the asper, or rough breathing.

   a. 1742, Richard Bentley, letter to Dr. Mead But we must correct then twenty authors who have it in the compound ἀπηθεῖν and ἀπήθημα ; and not (as the aspirate would require it) ἀφηθεῖν and αφήθημα

In a sentence

We now come to the so-called aspirate [h], which must be also classified as a fricative consonant.

1972, Leonard R. Palmer, Descriptive and Comparative Linguistics, page 50

Where it comes from

1. Latinaspīrātus
2. Latinaspīrātus
3. Englishaspirate

Learned borrowing from Latin aspīrātus.