noun
- Plural of apical; consonant sounds produced with the tip or apex of the tongue against the alveolar ridge or teeth.
Usage: linguistics; phonetics
adjective
- Relating to or located at the apex or tip of a structure, especially in anatomy or botany.
Usage: anatomy; botany
Examples
- In English, /t/ and /d/ are common apicals produced with the tongue tip.
- The apicals of the tooth roots require careful examination during dental treatment.
- Many languages distinguish between apicals and laminals in their consonant systems.
- The apicals of the plant's leaves showed signs of disease.
- Linguists study how different languages use apicals in their phonetic inventories.