aspirating
|as-pi-rat-ing|
/ˈæspəreɪtɪŋ/
(aspirate)
to breathe (on/in); draw breath
Etymology
'aspirate' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'aspirare', where the prefix 'ad-' (assimilated to 'as-') meant 'to' and 'spirare' meant 'to breathe'.
'aspirare' passed into Old French/Middle French as 'aspirer' and Late Latin usage, and the English word 'aspirate' was formed in the 17th century from this Latin/French lineage.
Initially it meant 'to breathe on or upon' (literally to direct breath); over time it evolved to include 'to draw in (by suction)', 'to inhale (accidentally)', and the phonetic sense 'to pronounce with an audible breath (to add aspiration)'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
present participle of 'aspirate' meaning to draw in or out by suction (medical) or to inhale a foreign substance into the airways
The nurse was aspirating the abscess, carefully aspirating the pus into the syringe.
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Verb 2
present participle of 'aspirate' meaning to inhale (often accidentally) a liquid or solid into the lungs
While choking on the snack he was aspirating and had to be helped to clear his airway.
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Verb 3
present participle of 'aspirate' in phonetics: to pronounce a sound with an audible breathy burst (to add aspiration)
In that dialect speakers are aspirating voiceless stops, aspirating /p/, /t/, and /k/ in word-initial position.
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Adjective 1
acting to cause aspiration or characterized by aspiration (used adjectivally, often in technical contexts)
The aspirating device must be sterilized before the procedure.
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Last updated: 2025/10/31 20:00