inhale

[ in-heyl ]

/ ɪnˈheɪl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR inhale ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), in·haled, in·hal·ing.

to breathe in; draw in by breathing: to inhale the polluted air.

verb (used without object), in·haled, in·hal·ing.

to breathe in, especially the smoke of cigarettes, cigars, etc.: Do you inhale when you smoke?

Nearby words

inhalation analgesia, inhalation anesthesia, inhalation anesthetic, inhalation therapy, inhalator, inhale, inhaler, inhambane, inharmonic, inharmonious, inhaul

Origin of inhale

First recorded in 1715–25; in-² + (ex)hale

Related forms

un·in·haled, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for inhale

If you tend to inhale your food without realizing how much you consumed, opt for nibbles like in-shell pistachio nuts.
12 Thanksgiving Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work|DailyBurn|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
TB, for example, is spread when I inhale the exhaled breath of a person with active disease.
The CDC Was Wrong About How to Stop Ebola|Kent Sepkowitz|October 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They emit an odor that no human being should inhale, and yet you have.
Whatever You Do Someone Will Die. A Short Story About Impossible Choices in Iraq|Nathan Bradley Bethea|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So of course, Jimmy Fallon took the opportunity to ruin it by forcing Freeman to inhale helium and pitch up his voice.
Viral Video of the Day: Morgan Freeman Sucks Helium|Alex Chancey|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But inhale the fumes of Republican rhetoric more deeply, and a more mind-blowing reality comes into focus.
Rubio’s Wrong on Recreational Pot|James Poulos|May 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I sauntered out, after the events recorded in the last paper, to inhale the fresh air of the morning.
Continental Monthly, Vol. II. July, 1862. No. 1.|Various
I sauntered out, after the events recorded in the last chapter, to inhale the fresh air of the morning.
Among the Pines|James R. Gilmore
I took one inhale of the interior atmosphere and decided right there that I would bivouac in the open.
A Yankee in the Trenches|R. Derby Holmes
I believe I have temporarily lost all creative power: it will come back to me, perhaps, when I inhale some Northern ozone.
The Life and Letters of Lafcadio Hearn, Volume 1|Elizabeth Bisland
He sprang from his bed, and opened the window to inhale the fresh air.
Faustus|Friedrich Maximilian von Klinger

British Dictionary definitions for inhale

inhale

/ (ɪnˈheɪl) /

verb

to draw (breath) into the lungs; breathe in

Word Origin for inhale

C18: from in- ² + Latin halāre 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

Medicine definitions for inhale

inhale

[ ĭn-hāl′ ]

v.

To breathe in; inspire.

To draw something such as smoke or a medicinal mist into the lungs by breathing; inspire.