articulators
|ar-tic-u-la-tors|
🇺🇸
/ɑrˈtɪkjəˌleɪtərz/
🇬🇧
/ɑːˈtɪkjʊleɪtəz/
(articulator)
one that shapes or produces clear speech
Etymology
'articulator' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'articulāre', where 'articul-' (from 'articulus') meant 'a joint' or 'small joint'.
'articulator' changed from the Latin agent-form related to 'articulāre' and passed into English via Late Latin/Medieval Latin usage, eventually becoming the modern English noun 'articulator'.
Initially related to 'a joint' or 'to divide into joints', the sense broadened to mean 'one that forms joints or divisions' and later specialized to refer to parts that form speech or to devices that simulate jaw joints.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
anatomical structures used in speech production (e.g., tongue, lips, palate) that shape and modify sounds.
The tongue and lips are the primary articulators for producing many consonants.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a mechanical device in dentistry that represents the temporomandibular joints and jaws to simulate mandibular movements.
The dentist mounted the plaster models on an articulators to check the bite.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/23 22:59