breathing

American  

[bree-thing] / ˈbri ðɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or other animal that breathes; respiration.

2. a single breath.

3. the short time required for a single breath.

4. a pause, as for breath.

5. utterance or words.

6. a gentle moving or blowing, as of wind.

7. Classical Greek Grammar.

   1. the manner of articulating the beginning of a word written with an initial vowel sign, with or without aspiration before the vowel.

   2. one of the two symbols used to indicate this.

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breathing British  

/ ˈbriːðɪŋ /

noun

1. the passage of air into and out of the lungs to supply the body with oxygen

2. a single breath

   a breathing between words

3. an utterance

   a breathing of hate

4. a soft movement, esp of air

5. a rest or pause

6. phonetics

   1. expulsion of breath ( rough breathing ) or absence of such expulsion ( smooth breathing ) preceding the pronunciation of an initial vowel or rho in ancient Greek

   2. either of two symbols indicating this

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Other Word Forms

• breathingly
  adverb
• unbreathing
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of breathing

First recorded in 1350–1400, breathing is from the Middle English word brethynge. See breathe, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Norfolk-wide, there were 1,322 people in Breathing Space.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

Breathing isn’t just a pause — it’s a boundary.

From Salon • Nov. 22, 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 patterns and emotional state are difficult to untangle -- if anxiety increases or decreases, so does the breathing rate.

From Science Daily • Nov. 19, 2024

Breathing a sigh, I walked on, seeing the wonders of the world.

From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

• respiratory