breather
Americannoun
-
a pause, as for breath.
- Synonyms:
- intermission, recess, timeout, break, rest
-
vigorous exercise that causes heavy breathing.
-
a person who breathes.
-
a vent in a container or covering, as in a casing for machinery or in a storage tank, to equalize interior and exterior pressure, permit entry of air, escape of fumes, or the like.
-
a device for providing air from the atmosphere to submerged or otherwise sealed-off persons, internal-combustion engines, etc..
the snorkel breather of a submarine.
noun
-
informal a short pause for rest
-
a person who breathes in a specified way
a deep breather
-
a vent in a container to equalize internal and external pressure, such as the pipe in the crankcase of an internal-combustion engine
-
a small opening in a room, container, cover, etc, supplying air for ventilation
Etymology
Origin of breather
First recorded in 1350–1400, breather is from the Middle English word brethere. See breathe, -er 1
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.
The latest quarter offered shares a breather as key metrics handily cleared expectations.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
The tech-led stock-market rally is taking a breather as investors wait for inflation data.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
U.S. stocks took a breather from their rally to fresh record highs on Tuesday as investors confronted a gloomier inflation backdrop.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
The legendary Puerto Rican MC Wisin gave Karol a breather by storming the stage and regaling his millennial fans with 2000s reggaeton burners like “Pam Pam” and “Rakata.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
“We must take a breather, Dustfinger,” Meggie heard Mo saying.
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
