A0363000 (ăf′ĭ-sĭs)n.pl.aph·e·ses(-sēz′) The loss of an initial, usually unstressed vowel from a word, as in cute from acute.[Greek, a release, from aphīenai, aphe-, to let go : apo-, apo- + hīenai, to send; see diesis.]a·phet′ic(ə-fĕt′ĭk) adj.a·phet′i·cal·ly adv.Thesaurus