aspiration

Plural: aspirations

Noun

• a will to succeed
• a cherished desire
• a manner of articulation involving an audible release of breath
• the act of inhaling; the drawing in of air (or other gases) as in breathing
• The act of aspiring or ardently desiring; an ardent wish or desire, chiefly after what is elevated or spiritual (with common adjunct adpositions being to and of).
• The action of aspirating.
• A burst of air that follows the release of some consonants.
• The withdrawal of fluid, tissue, or other substance, usually through a hollow needle from a body cavity, cyst, or tumor.
• The silent breaking h beginning some French words, largely of Germanic origin.
• The process of lenition involving writing a digraph with h, especially at the beginning of a word.

Examples

• In Cambodian, aspiration is phonemic, so /p/ and /pʰ/ are different phonemes.
• Morgan has an aspiration of winning the game.
• Riley has an aspiration to become a doctor.

Synonyms

ambition, breathing in, dream, inhalation, inspiration, intake