glottal

adjective

glot·​tal ˈglä-tᵊl How to pronounce glottal (audio)
: of, relating to, or produced in or by the glottis
glottal constriction

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Meanwhile, a weasel-like animal called a fisher waited nearby, making glottal noises inside a wire trap. Elizabeth Miller, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2022 The language is famously difficult with tones and glottal stops unlike anything in English. David Kelly, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2021 There’s a special note of aggressive contempt that can be layered into the diphthongs and glottal stops of what linguists call Inland North American English, and Carone used it lavishly. New York Times, 17 Dec. 2020 Sloppy enunciation, glottal mayhem, off-kilter expressiveness and a general airlessness have killed some books read by the very person who created them. Dallas News, 20 Aug. 2019 Sloppy enunciation, glottal mayhem, off-kilter expressiveness, and a general airlessness have killed some books read by the very person who created them. Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2019 King’s shudders and vibratos, half-shouts and glottal stops have become a synecdoche for the ongoing struggle for American freedom. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 15 May 2017 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'glottal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from French glottale, borrowed from New Latin glōttālis, from glōttis glottis + Latin -ālis -al entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of glottal was circa 1846

Dictionary Entries Near glottal

Cite this Entry

“Glottal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glottal. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

Medical Definition

glottal

adjective
glot·​tal ˈglät-ᵊl How to pronounce glottal (audio)
variants also glottic
: of, relating to, or produced in or by the glottis
glottal constriction

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