aspirate

1 of 2

noun

as·​pi·​rate ˈa-sp(ə-)rət 

1

: an independent sound \h\ or a character (such as the letter h) representing it

2

: a consonant having aspiration as its final component

in English the \p\ of pit is an aspirate

3

: material removed by aspiration

aspirate

2 of 2

verb

as·​pi·​rate ˈa-spə-ˌrāt 

aspirated; aspirating

transitive verb

1

: to pronounce (a vowel or a consonant) with aspiration (see aspiration sense 3a)

2

a

: to draw by suction

b

: to remove (something such as blood) by aspiration

c

: to take into the lungs by aspiration

Examples of aspirate in a Sentence

Noun

The word “hour” is not pronounced with an aspirate.

Verb

The letter “h” in “house” is aspirated, but the “h” in “hour” is not.

She began coughing when she aspirated some orange juice.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

According to veterinary oncologists, a fine needle aspirate to see what kinds of cells it’s made of is almost always in order in these cases. —Dr. Patty Khuly, miamiherald, 5 July 2018

Verb

Modern Power- and Drivetrain Underneath VR’s 1970 Ford F100 lives a modern, naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 with a contemporary 10-speed automatic transmission to match. —Peter Nelson, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

For the 456, Ferrari bestowed it with a 5.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 that made 436 horsepower and more than 400 lb-ft of torque, which is more than adequate for hustling across the continent. —Christian Gilbertsen, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin aspiratus, past participle of aspirare

First Known Use

Noun

1617, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1700, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

aspirate

1 of 2 verb

as·​pi·​rate ˈas-pə-ˌrāt 

aspirated; aspirating

1

: to pronounce with an initial \h\

2

: to remove (as blood) by suction

aspirate

2 of 2 noun

as·​pi·​rate ˈas-p(ə-)rət 

: the sound \h\ or a letter or symbol representing it

Medical Definition

aspirate

1 of 2 transitive verb

as·​pi·​rate ˈas-pə-ˌrāt 

aspirated; aspirating

1

: to draw by suction

2

: to remove (as blood) by aspiration

the portal vein is exposed and blood is aspirated with a 50-ml. syringe

—Biological Abstracts

3

: inhale

aspirated material into the respiratory tract

—Anesthesia Digest

aspirate

2 of 2 noun

as·​pi·​rate ˈas-p(ə-)ret 

: material removed by aspiration