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consonant

noun, adj — 6 senses

consonant

noun

UK /ˈkɒn.sə.nənt/ · US /ˈkɑn.sə.nənt/

Etymology From Middle English consonant or consonaunt, from Old French consonant, from Latin cōnsonāns (“sounding with”), from the prefix con- (“with”) + the present participle sonāns (“sounding”), from sonāre (“to sound”). The Latin is a calque of Ancient Greek σύμφωνον (súmphōnon).

1

Human sciences, Linguistics, Phonetics, Phonology, Sciences A sound that results from the passage of air through restrictions of the oral cavity; any sound that is not the dominant sound of a syllable, the dominant sound generally being a vowel.

2

A letter representing the sound of a consonant.

  • Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial, a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well.1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
  • “Tell me, has right anything to do with the law?” I asked. “You have used the wrong initial consonant,” he smiled in answer. “Might?” I queried; and he nodded his head.1908 February 19, Jack London, chapter 4, in The Iron Heel, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC:
Derived terms
consonantal, consonantary, consonant cluster, consonant gradation, consonant harmony, consonanthood, consonantic, consonantism, consonantize, consonantless, consonantly, consonantness, consonantoid, consonant rhyme, consonant stem, contoid, inconsonant, linking consonant, nasal consonant, nonconsonant, semiconsonant, syllabic consonant, unconsonant, vocalic consonant

consonant

adj

Etymology From Middle English consonant or consonaunt, from Old French consonant, from Latin cōnsonāns (“sounding with”), from the prefix con- (“with”) + the present participle sonāns (“sounding”), from sonāre (“to sound”). The Latin is a calque of Ancient Greek σύμφωνον (súmphōnon).

1

Consistent, harmonious, compatible, or in agreement.

  • Each one pretends that his opinion […] is consonant to the words there used.1710, William Beveridge, The true nature of the Christian church, the office of its ministers, and the means of grace administred by them explain'd. In twelve sermons:
  • Cheerfulness, even gaiety, is consonant with every species of virtue and practice of religion, and I think it inconsistent only with impiety and vice.1900, Sabine Baring-Gould, “The Rev. Mr. Carter, Parson-Publican”, in Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents and Strange Events:
1 more example
  • This essential right of the courts to be free of intimidation and coercion was held to be consonant with a recognition that freedom of the press must be allowed in the broadest scope compatible with the supremacy of order.1946, United States Supreme Court, Pennekamp v. Florida 328 U.S. 331,334
2

Having the same sound.

  • 1645-1650, James Howell, Epistolae Ho-Elianae consonant words and syllables
3

Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music Harmonizing together; accordant.

  • consonant tones; consonant chords
4

Of or relating to consonants; made up of, or containing many, consonants.

  • No Russian whose dissonant consonant name / Almost shatters to fragments the trumpet of fame.1813, Thomas Moore, Intercepted Letters, or the Two-Penny Post-Bag:
Antonyms
disconsonant, dissonant, discordant
Related terms
consonance, consonantal, vowel, semivowel

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.