24 September 2014

consonant

[kon-suh-nuh nt]

noun

1. Phonetics.
(in English articulation) a speech sound produced by occluding with or without releasing (p, b; t, d; k, g), diverting (m, n, ng), or obstructing (f, v; s, z, etc.) the flow of air from the lungs (opposed to vowel ).
(in a syllable) any sound other than the sound of greatest sonority in the syllable, as b, r, and g in brig (opposed to sonant ).
Compare vowel (def 1b).
(in linguistic function) a concept empirically determined as a phonological element in structural contrast with vowel, as the b of be, the w of we, the y, s, and t of yeast, etc.
2. a letter that usually represents a consonant sound.
adjective
3. in agreement; agreeable; in accord; consistent (usually followed by to or with):
behavior consonant with his character.
4. corresponding in sound, as words.
5. harmonious, as sounds.
6. Music. constituting a consonance.
7. Physics. noting or pertaining to sounds exhibiting consonance.
8. consonantal.

Origin

Middle English, Anglo-French, Latin

1350-1400; Middle English consona (u) nt (< Anglo-French) < Latin consonant- (stem of consonāns, present participle of consonāre to sound with or together). See con-, sonant

Related forms

consonantlike, adjective
consonantly, adverb
unconsonant, adjective

Synonyms
3. concordant, congruous, conformant.

Antonyms
6. dissonant.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for consonant Expand

– And then you have to couch it in the right terms, to have it be consonant with the other values of the university.
– Once you’ve got the infixes and the prefixes in your head, and the three- consonant root verbs you can construct any word you want.
– Select any consonant after you have guessed at a word, and it will appear in each appropriate square in the puzzle.

Anagram

Canton son
scant noon

Today’s aphorism

The one who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone, is likely to find himself in places no-one has ever been.

– Albert Einstein

On this day

24 September 1724 – birth of Sir Arthur Guiness, Irish brewer and founder of the Guinness brewery. Died 23 January 1803.

24 September 1869 – Black Friday. Wall Street panic caused by two speculators, Fisk and Gould, trying to corner the gold market on the New York Gold Exchange. During reconstruction following the American Civil War, the US government had issued large amounts of money backed by nothing but credit. Rumour had it that the government would buy back the money with gold. Fisk and Gould attempted to profit from this by buying large amounts of gold, driving the price higher. The government unloaded $4 million of its own gold on the market which caused the price to plummet. As the price plummeted, investors panicked and sold their holdings, many were ruined.

24 September 1936 – birth of Jim Henson, American muppeteer (Sesame Street, the Muppet Show). Died 16 May 1990.

24 September 1952 – birth of Mark Sandman, US musician, singer, songwriter. Founder of the alternative rock band, Morphine, which blended heavy bass sounds with blues and jazz. Sandman was described as the most under-rated and skilled bass player of his generation. Sandman collapsed and died on stage during a Morphine concert in Latium, Italy. His death was the result of a heart attack and blamed on heavy smoking, stress and extreme heat, in which the temperature on the night was in excess of 38o Celsius. Died 3 July 1999.

24 September 1990 – The Supreme Soviet agrees to change to free market.

24 September 1991 – death of Theodore Seuss Geisel, (Dr Seuss), children’s author. Born 2 March 1904.