occlusive, a. and n.
(əˈkluːsɪv)
[f. L. occlūs-, ppl. stem of occlūd-ĕre to occlude + -ive.]
A. adj. Having the function of occluding or closing. Also, characterized by occlusion.
| 1888 R. Park in Medical News (Philad.) LIII. 117 The wounds..closed with an antiseptic, occlusive dressing. 1961 Lancet 22 July 192/1 Of three techniques for treating the stump [of the umbilicus]—standard non-occlusive spirit technique, antibiotic or antiseptic non-occlusive technique, and occlusive technique with or without antibiotics—they showed the last to be the most reliable and the most effective. 1972 Where May/June 135/2 The sheath, the various occlusive caps, even chemical contraceptives do provide some barrier to the spread of germs from one person to another. 1974 Passmore & Robson Compan. Med. Stud. III. xvii. 16/2 The most important cause of occlusive arterial disease is atherosclerosis. |
B. n. Phonetics. A consonant sound produced with stoppage of breath by the organs of speech; a stop with suppression of the explosive sound.
| 1902 [see affricate v.]. 1943 Amer. Speech XVIII. 39 The only audible expression of the final consonant..is the cutting-off of the preceding vowel sound by the raising of the tongue to make the closure... The explosive stop here becomes what may most conveniently be termed a simple occlusive. 1976 Archivum Linguisticum VII. 183 He cannot add *H3 and a third series of guttural occlusives to the number of fallen consonantal phonemes he has postulated. |