breathing

[bree-th ing]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR breathing ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of a person or other animal that breathes; respiration.

a single breath.

the short time required for a single breath.

a pause, as for breath.

utterance or words.

a gentle moving or blowing, as of wind.

Classical Greek Grammar.

the manner of articulating the beginning of a word written with an initial vowel sign, with or without aspiration before the vowel.
one of the two symbols used to indicate this.Compare rough breathing, smooth breathing.

Origin of breathing

First recorded in 1350–1400, breathing is from the Middle English word brethynge. See breathe, -ing¹

Related formsbreath·ing·ly, adverbun·breath·ing, adjective

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 deprive of breath; tire; exhaust.

to cause to pant; exercise.

Idioms

breathe down someone's neck,

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 English brethen, 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 confusedbreadth breath breathe

Synonyms for breathe

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR breathe ON THESAURUS.COM

14. utter, tell, murmur, voice; reveal, divulge.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for breathing

respiratory, panting, gasping, living, animate, functioning, awake, conscious

Examples from the Web for breathing

Contemporary Examples of breathing

He said, ‘They’re both shot in the head and neither of them are breathing.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops
Michael Daly
December 22, 2014
So many eighteen-year-old girls,” says Oliona, “breathing down my neck.
Russia’s Gold Digger Academy
Peter Pomerantsev
November 11, 2014
However, in calm, deep wave sleep, breathing and pulse is slow and regular, and movements are more than rare, he says.
The Tracker That Might Actually Help You Sleep Better
DailyBurn
October 17, 2014
Take, for instance, those with sleep apnea, in which breathing periodically stops and starts throughout the night.
The Tracker That Might Actually Help You Sleep Better
DailyBurn
October 17, 2014
For instance, in active REM sleep, breathing and pulse may be irregular, and small muscular twitches are common.
The Tracker That Might Actually Help You Sleep Better
DailyBurn
October 17, 2014

Historical Examples of breathing

It is only the true lover to whom the breathing form is as sacred as the breathless.
Malbone
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
At length her head came up a little and her breathing was easier and easier.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
A man is but a beast as he lives from day to day, eating and drinking, breathing and sleeping.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
Wilson was breathing quietly: his color was coming up, as he rallied from the shock.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
For a long time he did not move, but I could see he was breathing.
The Penance of Magdalena and Other Tales of the California Missions
J. Smeaton Chase

British Dictionary definitions for breathing

breathing

noun

the passage of air into and out of the lungs to supply the body with oxygen

a single breatha breathing between words

an utterancea breathing of hate

a soft movement, esp of air

a rest or pause

phonetics

expulsion of breath (rough breathing) or absence of such expulsion (smooth breathing) preceding the pronunciation of an initial vowel or rho in ancient Greek
either of two symbols indicating this

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) phonetics to 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 freely or breathe easily to feel reliefI could breathe again after passing the exam

breathe down someone's neck to stay close to someone, esp to oversee what they are doingthe cops are breathing down my neck

breathe one's last to die or be finished or defeated

Word Origin for breathe

C13: from breath

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

Word Origin and History for breathing

breathe

c.1300, not in Old English, but it retains the original Old English vowel of its source word, breath. Related: Breathed; breathing.

breathing in Medicine

breathing

[brē′ðĭng]

n.

The alternate inhalation and exhalation of air in respiration.

Idioms and Phrases with breathing

breathe

In addition to the idioms beginning with breathe

breathe down someone's neck
breathe easy
breathe life into
breathe one's last

also see:

as I live and breathe
breathing space
not breathe a word