/ob"strooh euhnt/ , adj.
1. Med. (of a substance) producing an obstruction.
2. Phonet. (of a speech sound) characterized by stoppage or obstruction of the flow of air from the lungs. Cf. sonorant .
n.
3. Med. a medicine that closes the natural passages of the body.
4. Phonet. an obstruent speech sound; a stop, fricative, or affricate. Cf. sonorant (def. 2).
[ 1660-70; obstruent- (s. of obstruens, prp. of obstruere ); see OBSTRUCT, -ENT ]