a. [ L. sonans, -antis, p. pr. of sonare to sound. See Sound a noise. ] 1. Of or pertaining to sound; sounding. [ 1913 Webster ]
2. (Phonetics) Uttered, as an element of speech, with tone or proper vocal sound, as distinguished from mere breath sound; intonated; voiced; vocal; tonic; the opposite of nonvocal, or surd; -- said of the vowels, semivowels, liquids, and nasals, and particularly of the consonants b, d, g hard, v, etc., as compared with their cognates p, t, k, f, etc., which are called nonvocal, surd, or aspirate. -- n. A sonant letter. [ 1913 Webster ]