1. Last,final,ultimate refer to what comes as an ending. That which is last comes or stands after all others in a stated series or succession; last may refer to objects or activities: a seat in the last row; the last game. That which is final comes at the end, or serves to end or terminate, admitting of nothing further; final is rarely used of objects: to make a final attempt. That which is ultimate (literally, most remote) is the last that can be reached, as in progression or regression, experience, or a course of investigation: ultimate truths.
breathe
[breeth]
verb (used without object),breathed[breethd]/briðd/, breath·ing.
to take air, oxygen, etc., into the lungs and expel it; inhale and exhale; respire.
(in speech) to control the outgoing breath in producing voice and speech sounds.
to pause, as for breath; take rest: How about giving me a chance to breathe?
to move gently or blow lightly, as air.
to live; exist: Hardly a man breathes who has not known great sorrow.
to be redolent of.
(of a material) to allow air and moisture to pass through easily: The jacket is comfortable because the fabric breathes.
(of the skin) to absorb oxygen and give off perspiration.
(of a wine) to be exposed to air after being uncorked, in order to develop flavor and bouquet.
verb (used with object),breathed[breethd]/briðd/, breath·ing.
to inhale and exhale in respiration.
to exhale: Dragons breathe fire.
to inject as if by breathing; infuse: She breathed life into the party.
to give utterance to; whisper.
to express; manifest.
to allow to rest or recover breath: to breathe a horse.
to be close to someone in pursuit; menace; threaten: Police from four states were breathing down his neck.
to watch someone closely so as to supervise or control: If everyone keeps breathing down my neck, how can I get my work done?
breathe freely, to have relief from anxiety, tension, or pressure: Now that the crisis was over, he could breathe freely.Also breathe easily,breathe easy.
breathe one's last, to die: He breathed his last and was buried in the churchyard.
not breathe a word/syllable, to maintain secrecy; keep a matter confidential: I'll tell you if you promise not to breathe a word.
Origin of breathe
1250–1300;Middle Englishbrethen, derivative of breath
Related formsout·breathe, verb (used with object),out·breathed,out·breath·ing.pre·breathe, verb (used with object),pre·breathed,pre·breath·ing.Can be confusedbreadthbreathbreathe
British Dictionary definitions for breathe one's last
breathe
verb
to take in oxygen from (the surrounding medium, esp air) and give out carbon dioxide; respire
(intr)to exist; be aliveevery animal that breathes on earth
(intr)to rest to regain breath, composure, etcstop your questions, and give me a chance to breathe
(intr)(esp of air) to blow lightlythe wind breathed through the trees
(intr)machinery
to take in air, esp for combustionthe engine breathes through this air filter
to equalize the pressure within a container, chamber, etc, with atmospheric pressurethe crankcase breathes through this duct
(tr)phoneticsto articulate (a speech sound) without vibration of the vocal cordsCompare voice (def. 19)
to exhale or emitthe dragon breathed fire
(tr)to impart; instilto breathe confidence into the actors
(tr)to speak softly; whisperto breathe words of love
(tr)to permit to restto breathe a horse
(intr)(of a material) to allow air to pass through so that perspiration can evaporate
breathe again, breathe freelyorbreathe easilyto feel reliefI could breathe again after passing the exam
breathe down someone's neckto stay close to someone, esp to oversee what they are doingthe cops are breathing down my neck
breathe one's lastto die or be finished or defeated
Word Origin for breathe
C13: from breath
last
1
adjective(often prenominal)
being, happening, or coming at the end or after all othersthe last horse in the race
being or occurring just before the present; most recentlast Thursday
last but not leastcoming last in order but nevertheless important
last but onenext to last
only remainingone's last cigarette
most extreme; utmost
least suitable, appropriate, or likelyhe was the last person I would have chosen
(esp relating to the end of a person's life or of the world)
final or ultimatelast rites
(capital)the Last Judgment
(postpositive)Liverpooldialectinferior, unpleasant, or contemptiblethis ale is last
adverb
after all others; at or in the endhe came last
most recentlyhe was last seen in the mountains
(in combination)last-mentioned
(sentence modifier)as the last or latest item
noun
the last
a person or thing that is last
the final moment; end
one's last moments before death
the last thing a person can do (esp in the phrase breathe one's last)
the final appearance, mention, or occurrencewe've seen the last of him
at lastin the end; finally
at long lastfinally, after difficulty, delay, or irritation
Word Origin for last
variant of Old English latest, lætest, superlative of late
usage
Since last can mean either after all others or most recent, it is better to avoid using this word where ambiguity might arise as in her last novel. Final or latest should be used in such contexts to avoid ambiguity
last
2
verb
(when intr, often foll by for) to remain in being (for a length of time); continuehis hatred lasted for several years
to be sufficient for the needs of (a person) for (a length of time)it will last us until Friday
(when intr, often foll by for) to remain fresh, uninjured, or unaltered (for a certain time or duration)he lasted for three hours underground
Old English lǣstan; related to Gothic laistjan to follow
last
3
noun
the wooden or metal form on which a shoe or boot is fashioned or repaired
verb
(tr)to fit (a shoe or boot) on a last
Derived Formslaster, noun
Word Origin for last
Old English lǣste, from lāst footprint; related to Old Norse leistr foot, Gothic laists
last
4
noun
a unit of weight or capacity having various values in different places and for different commodities. Commonly used values are 2 tons, 2000 pounds, 80 bushels, or 640 gallons
Word Origin for last
Old English hlæst load; related to hladan to lade1
c.1300, not in Old English, but it retains the original Old English vowel of its source word, breath. Related: Breathed; breathing.
last
adj., adv.
"following all others," from Old English latost (adj.) and lætest (adv.), superlative of læt (see late). Cognate with Old Frisian lest, Dutch laatst, Old High German laggost, German letzt. Meaning "most recent" is from c.1200. The noun, "last person or thing," is c.1200, from the adjective. Last hurrah is from the title of Edwin O'Connor's 1956 novel. Last word "final, definitive statement" is from 1650s. A dying person's last words so called by 1740. As an adjective, last-minute attested from 1913. Last-chance (adj.) is from 1962.
last
v.
"endure, go on existing," from Old English læstan "to continue, endure," earlier "accomplish, carry out," literally "to follow a track," from Proto-Germanic *laistjan "to follow a track" (cf. Gothic laistjan "to follow," Old Frisian lasta "to fulfill, to pay (duties)," German leisten "to perform, achieve, afford"), from PIE *leis- "track, furrow."
Related to last (n.), not to last (adj.). Related: Lasted; lasting.
last
n.
"shoemaker's block," from Old English læste, from last "track, footprint, trace," from Proto-Germanic *laist- (cf. Old Norse leistr "the foot," Middle Dutch, Dutch leest "form, model, last," Old High German leist "track, footprint," German Leisten "last," Gothic laistjan "to follow," Old English læran "to teach"); see last (v.).
Die, as in Aunt Agatha breathed her last on Tuesday. This term was used by Shakespeare in 3 Henry VI (5:2): “Montague has breathed his last.” It has survived but today is considered a poetic euphemism.
