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The act of breathing out air. During exhalation, the diaphragm relaxes and moves upward, causing compression of the lungs and an outward flow of air.
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Also called expiration
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Compare inhalation
Etymology
Origin of exhalation
1350–1400; Middle English exalacion < Latin exhālātiōn- (stem of exhālātiō ). See exhale, -ation
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Vocabulary lists containing exhalation
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.
While a brick home can resist the powerful exhalation of a wolf, it’s no match for wind-driven rain served up by a wicked storm.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 12, 2024
In a long exhalation, she sets her dancers free.
From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2024
"This means that most of the water added to the air during inhalation is then recovered during exhalation."
From Science Daily ● Dec. 14, 2023
The fall of the hammer at 74 million pounds broke the tension, triggering a collective exhalation in the room and a round of applause.
From Reuters ● Jun. 27, 2023
She let out a laugh that sounded more like an exhalation, and her lower lip started to shake.
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
