Hissing or whistling in character; denoting a form of rhonchus. [L. sibilans (-ant-), pres. p. of sibilo, to hiss]
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sib·i·lant 'sib-ə-lənt adj having, containing, or producing the sound of or a sound resembling that of the s or sh in sash <a \sibilant speech sound> <\sibilant breathing> <\sibilant rales>
sibilant n a sibilant speech sound (as English /s/, /z/, /sh/, /zh/, /ch(=t + sh)/, or /j(=d + zh)/)
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adj.
whistling or hissing. The term is applied to certain high-pitched abnormal sounds heard through a stethoscope.
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sib·i·lant (sibґĭ-lənt) [L. sibilans hissing] 1. having a shrill, hissing, or whistling character. 2. a consonant sound produced with a hiss, such as s, sh, z, or zh.Medical dictionary. 2011.