implosive
implosive — adjective
- implosivepositive
- more implosivecomparative
- most implosivesuperlative
1. describes something that collapses inward suddenly, or a speech sound made by dr
describes something that collapses inward suddenly, or a speech sound made by drawing air into the mouth. In physics, an implosive event involves external pressure crushing an object inward. In phonetics, an implosive consonant is formed by lowering the larynx while keeping the vocal cords closed, creating suction inside the mouth.
An implosive shock wave crushed the steel tank from all sides during the deep-sea test.
technical: describing physical inward collapse
Implosive charges brought the old factory down in under five seconds.
In Vietnam, linguists recorded an implosive consonant that Hana said at the start of the word 'ɓa'.
Doctor Okonkwo held his palm before his mouth to show how an implosive uses suction.
- explosive
Explosive describes outward burst; implosive describes inward collapse.
用法筆記
Frequently encountered in two specialised fields. In physics or engineering, it describes a collapse or device that works by inward force. In phonetics, it labels a class of consonants found in languages such as Sindhi, Vietnamese, and Igbo.
常見錯誤
implosive — noun
1. a consonant sound made by pulling air inward into the mouth, not by pushing it o
a consonant sound made by pulling air inward into the mouth, not by pushing it out from the lungs. The speaker closes the vocal cords and lowers the larynx, which creates suction inside the mouth.
The Sindhi word 'ɓa' begins with a voiced implosive, which feels unlike any English consonant.
implosives are more common in African and South Asian languages
Antonia struggled to produce the voiced implosive at the start of the Vietnamese word 'ɓầu'.
In phonetics, a hooked top on 'ɓ' marks an implosive, not a regular 'b'.
In Igbo writing, implosive sounds use hooked letters such as ɓ and ɗ.
- suction stop
A descriptive alternative used in older phonetic literature; less common today.
- ingressive stop
A broader category that includes implosives; ingressive stops draw air inward.
- plosive
Plosives push air outward from the lungs; implosives draw air inward.
用法筆記
Countable noun. The term is almost exclusively used in phonetics. Unlike the adjective, the noun always refers to a speech sound, never to a physical process.