Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - aspiration

 noun  Date: 14th century  1.  a. audible breath that accompanies or comprises a speech sound  b. the pronunciation or addition of an ~; also the symbol of an ~  2. a drawing of something in, out, up, or through by or as if by suction: as  a. the act of breathing and especially of breathing in  b. the withdrawal of fluid or tissue from the body  c. the taking of foreign matter into the lungs with the respiratory current  3.  a. a strong desire to achieve something high or great  b. an object of such desire  Synonyms: see ambition  • ~al adjective