English dictionary
aphesis
/'/&/f/I/s/I/s/
Definitions, examples, synonyms and antonyms from WordNet 3.0.
noun
-
the gradual disappearance of an initial (usually unstressed) vowel or syllable as in `squire' for `esquire'
Source: WordNet 3.0
-
The loss of a short unaccented vowel at the beginning of a word; -- the result of a phonetic process; as, <i>squire</i> for <i>esquire</i>.
Source: webster1913