/ ˈfrɪkətɪv; NAmE / ( BrE ) ( NAmE spir·ant ) noun
( phonetics ) a speech sound made by forcing breath out through a narrow space in the mouth with the lips, teeth or tongue in a particular position, for example /f/ and /ʃ/ in fee and she
► frica·tive adjective
—compare plosive
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 19th cent.: from modern Latin fricativus , from Latin fricare to rub.