sibilate

verb

sib·​i·​late ˈsi-bə-ˌlāt 

sibilated; sibilating

intransitive verb

1

: hiss

2

: to utter an initial sibilant : prefix an \s\-sound

transitive verb

1

: hiss

2

: to pronounce with an initial sibilant : prefix an \s\-sound to

sibilation

ˌsi-bə-ˈlā-shən 

noun

Word History

Etymology

Latin sibilatus, past participle of sibilare

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1