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apnea

or ap·noe·a

[ ap-nee-uh, ap-nee-uh ]
/ ˈæp ni ə, æpˈni ə /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR apnea ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Pathology.

a temporary suspension of breathing, occurring in some newborns (infant apnea) and in some adults during sleep (sleep apnea).
asphyxia.

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RELATED WORDS

blow, recess, layoff, intermission, interval, hiatus, rest, pause, lull, suspension, respite, letup, caesura, interlude, lacuna, downtime, breather, halt, cutoff, ten

Nearby words

  1. aplenty,
  2. aplite,
  3. aplitic,
  4. aplomb,
  5. apmt.,
  6. apneic,
  7. apneic pause,
  8. apneumia,
  9. apneusis,
  10. apneustic

Origin of apnea

1710–20; < New Latin apnoea < Greek ápnoia, equivalent to ápno(os) breathless (a- a-6 + pno-, variant stem of pneîn to breathe + -os adj. suffix) + -ia -ia
Related formsap·ne·al, ap·ne·ic, ap·noe·al, ap·noe·ic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Word Origin and History for apnea

apnea

n.

"suspension of breathing," also apnoea, 1719, Modern Latin, from Greek apnoia "absence of respiration," from apnos "without breathing," from a- "not" (see a- (3)) + pnein "to breathe" (see pneuma).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for apnea

apnea

[ ăp′nē-ə, ăp-nē′ə ]

n.

Temporary absence or cessation of breathing.
Related formsap•ne′ic adj. n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for apnea

apnea

[ ăp′nē-ə, ăp-nē′ə ]

The temporary absence or cessation of breathing.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.