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inhale

[ in-heyl ]
/ ɪnˈheɪl /
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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?
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Origin of inhale

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

OTHER WORDS FROM inhale

un·in·haled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use inhale in a sentence

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

Medical 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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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