shibilant

S1H4I1B3I1L1A1N1T1

noun

A sibilant (fricative or affricate) pronounced further back in the mouth than [s] and [z]: [ʃ], [ʒ], [t͡ʃ], [d͡ʒ], etc.

Scrabble 14
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Meanings

nounshibilant (plural shibilants)

plural shibilants

  1. human sciencesA sibilant (fricative or affricate) pronounced further back in the mouth than [s] and [z]: [ʃ], [ʒ], [t͡ʃ], [d͡ʒ], etc.

Origin

Blend of esh + sibilant.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

shibilant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shibilant

MLA

“shibilant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shibilant. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shibilant,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shibilant.

Source: shibilant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.