Showing results for "breathing"

• present participle of breathe.

breathing

American  

[bree-thing] / ˈbri ðɪŋ /

noun

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

2. a single breath.

3. the short time required for a single breath.

4. a pause, as for breath.

5. utterance or words.

6. a gentle moving or blowing, as of wind.

7. Classical Greek Grammar.

   1. the manner of articulating the beginning of a word written with an initial vowel sign, with or without aspiration before the vowel.

   2. one of the two symbols used to indicate this.

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breathing British  

/ ˈbriːðɪŋ /

noun

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

2. a single breath

   a breathing between words

3. an utterance

   a breathing of hate

4. a soft movement, esp of air

5. a rest or pause

6. phonetics

   1. expulsion of breath ( rough breathing ) or absence of such expulsion ( smooth breathing ) preceding the pronunciation of an initial vowel or rho in ancient Greek

   2. either of two symbols indicating this

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Other Word Forms

• unbreathing
  adjective
• breathingly
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of breathing

First recorded in 1350–1400, breathing is from the Middle English word brethynge. See breathe, -ing ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

breathing

A Toyota spokesman said the automaker had more inventory of the 2018 RAV4s on hand at the time, allowing more breathing room and an earlier transition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Healey, whose official title is chancellor of the exchequer, added that his maiden budget would see the government "maintaining fiscal discipline.. while giving businesses and families some breathing space".

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

When Evans derails the conversation again, a new question pops up — an occurrence in this film as natural and frequent as breathing.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

In February 2025, a relative brought Aurora to an emergency room for asthma, wheezing and difficulty breathing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

I stood there, fists tight, still breathing like a bear, ready to holler all sorts of things at her like, “Too bad!” or “That’s right! Remember that, big baby!”

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

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Related Words

• respiratory

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