breathing
Americannoun
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the act of a person or other animal that breathes; respiration.
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a single breath.
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the short time required for a single breath.
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a pause, as for breath.
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utterance or words.
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a gentle moving or blowing, as of wind.
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Classical Greek Grammar.
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the manner of articulating the beginning of a word written with an initial vowel sign, with or without aspiration before the vowel.
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one of the two symbols used to indicate this.
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noun
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the passage of air into and out of the lungs to supply the body with oxygen
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a single breath
a breathing between words
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an utterance
a breathing of hate
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a soft movement, esp of air
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a rest or pause
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phonetics
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expulsion of breath ( rough breathing ) or absence of such expulsion ( smooth breathing ) preceding the pronunciation of an initial vowel or rho in ancient Greek
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either of two symbols indicating this
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of breathing
First recorded in 1350–1400, breathing is from the Middle English word brethynge. See breathe, -ing 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Breathing in the night sky is something totally different: Cool, cold, fresh and pure - like drinking water from a well."
From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026
"Breathing exercises via yoga could potentially help, or gentle physical conditioning where breath control is important, as with swimming," suggested Natelson.
From Science Daily • Nov. 10, 2025
Breathing in secondhand smoke in prison is “inhuman and degrading treatment” if the judges say so, while not being allowed to produce secondhand smoke is a violation of the “right to private life.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025
Breathing dust in, as Harrison Schmitt reported during Apollo 17 in 1972, caused sneezing and allergies like "lunar dust hay fever."
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2025
Breathing heavily and with fire still raging inside of me, I stare at her name on the card for a long minute before I start texting.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
