\So"nant\, a. [L. sonans, -antis, p. pr. of sonare to
sound. See {Sound} a noise.]
1. Of or pertaining to sound; sounding.
2. (Phonetics) Uttered, as an element of speech, with tone or
   proper vocal sound, as distinguished from mere breath
   sound; intonated; voiced; tonic; the opposite of nonvocal,
   or surd; -- sid 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.