Meaning

noun consonant articulated by constricting (but not closing) the vocal tract

adjective of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as `f', `s', `z', or `th' in both `thin' and `then')

originEtymology tree English continue Proto-Indo-European *-onts Latin -ns Latin -āns Old French -antbor. Proto-Indo-European *-onts Proto-Germanic *-ndz Proto-West Germanic *-andī Old English -ende Middle English -ant English -ant English continuant From continue + -ant.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0