consonant

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A letter representing the sound of a consonant.

   Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial, a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well.

2. 2
   adj

   Consistent, harmonious, compatible, or in agreement.

   Each one pretends that his opinion […] is consonant to the words there used.

3. 3
   adj

   Having the same sound.

   1645-1650, James Howell, Epistolae Ho-Elianae consonant words and syllables

4. 4
   adj

   Harmonizing together; accordant.

   consonant tones; consonant chords

5. 5
   adj

   Of or relating to consonants; made up of, or containing many, consonants.

   No Russian whose dissonant consonant name / Almost shatters to fragments the trumpet of fame.

6. 6
   adj

   in keeping

7. 7
   adj

   involving or characterized by harmony

8. 8
   noun

   a speech sound that is not a vowel

Etymology

From Middle English consonant or consonaunt, from Old French consonant, from Latin cōnsonāns (“sounding with”), from the prefix con- (“with”) + the present participle sonāns (“sounding”), from sonāre (“to sound”). The Latin is a calque of Ancient Greek σύμφωνον (súmphōnon).