n., pl., -ses (-sēz').
The loss of an initial, usually unstressed vowel, as in cute from acute.
[Greek, a release, from aphīenai, aphe-, to let go : apo-, apo- + hīenai, to send; see diesis.]
aphetic a·phet'ic (ə-fĕt'ĭk) adj.aphetically a·phet'i·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
