irrespirable

[ ih-res-per-uh-buhl, ir-i-spahyuhr-uh-buhl ]

/ ɪˈrɛs pər ə bəl, ˌɪr ɪˈspaɪər ə bəl /

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adjective

not respirable; unfit for breathing.

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of irrespirable

From the Late Latin word irrespīrābilis, dating back to 1815–25. See ir-², respirable

Words nearby irrespirable

irresoluble, irresolute, irresolution, irresolvable, irrespective, irrespirable, irresponsible, irresponsive, irresuscitable, irretentive, irretraceable

How to use irrespirable in a sentence

Against the irrespirable air which at first enveloped it, vegetables were its saviours.
The Bird|Jules Michelet
The term applied by miners to carbonic anhydride (carbonic acid) and other irrespirable gases and vapours evolved in mines.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
Of or like azote, or containing it or formed from it; irrespirable; destructive to life.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
The burning of sulphur produces sulphurous acid, which is an irrespirable gas.
A Practical Physiology|Albert F. Blaisdell

British Dictionary definitions for irrespirable

irrespirable

/ (ɪˈrɛspɪrəbəl, ˌɪrɪˈspaɪərəbəl) /

adjective

not fit for breathing or incapable of being breathed

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