aspiration

noun6

1. •
   The act of aspiring or ardently desiring; an ardent wish or desire, chiefly after what is elevated or spiritual (with common adjunct adpositions being to and of).

   • Riley has an aspiration to become a doctor.
   • Morgan has an aspiration of winning the game.
2. •
   The action of aspirating.
3. •
   The withdrawal of fluid, tissue, or other substance, usually through a hollow needle from a body cavity, cyst, or tumor.
4. •
   A burst of air that follows the release of some consonants.

   • In Cambodian, aspiration is phonemic, so /p/ and /pʰ/ are different phonemes.
5. •
   The process of lenition involving writing a digraph with h, especially at the beginning of a word.
6. •
   The silent breaking h beginning some French words, largely of Germanic origin.