1. hissing sounds, especially speech sounds like ‘s’ and ‘sh’
Usage: plural of sibilance; linguistics

Examples

• The poem was full of sibilances that created a snake-like effect.
• Speech therapists work with children who have difficulty pronouncing sibilances.
• The actor practiced reducing the sibilances in his dialogue.
• Certain microphones pick up sibilances more than others.
• The linguist studied the sibilances in various languages.
• Recording engineers often use filters to control excessive sibilances.