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apnoea

British  
/ æpˈnɪə /

noun

  1. a temporary inability to breathe

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of apnoea

C18: from New Latin, from Greek apnoia, from a- 1 + pnein to breathe

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.

This discovery could lead to new ways to treat high blood pressure, especially in people with sleep apnoea, where carotid body activity increases when breathing stops during sleep.

From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2026

Dutch electronics and medical device manufacturer Philips said Tuesday that it had bounced back into the black in 2025, as it seeks to turn the page on a scandal over faulty sleep apnoea machines.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

Apart from its association with cancer, some genic variants of the Alex3 protein and its genic family are also related to neurodegenerative diseases -- especially Parkinson's -- , sleep apnoea and metabolic diseases.

From Science Daily • Feb. 7, 2024

Another goes through the health consequences of sleep apnoea.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2024

But this obstruction is precisely what occurs during the stage of reaction in many cases, which then terminate fatally by asphyxia, as in the previous stage still more perish by apnoea.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various