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Definition of: aphesis
(af′ə·sis) noun
The gradual, developmental loss of a short or unaccented vowel at the beginning of a word, as in mend for amend: a form of apheresis. [<NL <Gk., a letting go <aphienai <apo- from + hienai send]
—a·phet·ic (ə·fet′ik) adjective
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