Meaning & use
aspirate
Last updated
To pronounce a speech sound with a noticeable puff of breath.
See it in a sentence
In English, the 'p' in 'pin' is aspirated, unlike the 'p' in 'spin.'
Linguists study which languages aspirate their consonants and which do not.
A note on using this word
Has an unrelated medical meaning involving suction rather than breath, so context determines which sense applies.
Another way to use it
2. verb
To remove fluid, gas, or foreign matter from a body cavity by suction.
The nurse aspirated fluid from the patient's lungs.
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