implosive
Definition
Implosive (adjective) - In phonetics, describing a type of consonant sound produced by a glottalic ingressive airstream mechanism: the glottis moves downward, creating suction that causes an implosion when the closure is released. Implosive sounds are characterized by a momentary inward airflow, unlike explosive sounds (ejectives or plosives) which involve outward airflow. - In a broader sense, relating to or involving an inward collapse or inward bursting, as in an implosion (the opposite of an explosion).
Usage Examples
- (A phonetic sound made with an ingressive airstream.)
- (Forces related to inward bursting.)
Advanced Usage
- Implosive stop: A specific type of implosive consonant that is often voiced, though voiceless implosives exist in some languages.
- The Hausa language uses both voiced and voiceless implosive stops. (Phonetic categories of implosive sounds.)
Variants and Related Words
- Implosion (noun): the act or process of imploding; inward collapse.
- The implosion of the vacuum tube was sudden. (The inward collapse.)
- Implode (verb): to collapse inward violently.
- The star will implode into a black hole. (To collapse inward.)
Synonyms
- Inward-bursting: describing a force or sound that moves inward.
- Ingressive: relating to airflow that enters the vocal tract (in phonetics).
Related Idioms
- Implosive silence (non-standard): a figurative expression describing a tense, heavy quietness that feels like a pressure building inward.
- The room fell into an implosive silence after the shocking news. (A silence that seems to press inward on the listeners.)