breathe

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English [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Middle English brethen (“to breathe, blow, exhale, odour”), from breth (“breath”). More at breath.

Pronunciation [edit]

Verb [edit]

breathe (third-person singular simple present breathes, present participle breathing, simple past and past participle breathed)

  1. (intransitive) To repeatedly draw air into, and expel it from, the lungs in order to extract oxygen from it and excrete waste products.
  2. (intransitive) To exchange gases with the environment.
    Garments made of certain new materials breathe well and keep the skin relatively dry during exercise.
  3. (intransitive, now rare) To rest; to stop and catch one's breath.
    • 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book X:
      Thus they fought stylle withoute ony reposynge two owres, and never brethid [...].
  4. (intransitive) Figuratively, to be relaxed or calm.
    ...the wind breathes through the trees...
  5. (intransitive) Figuratively, to live.
    I will not allow it, as long as I still breathe.
  6. (transitive) To repeatedly draw (something) into, and expel (that thing) from, the lungs.
    Try not to breathe too much smoke.
  7. (transitive) To whisper quietly.
    He breathed the words into her ear, but she understood them all.

Derived terms [edit]

Related terms [edit]

Translations [edit]

to draw air in and out
to exchange gases
to stop and catch one's breath
to be relaxed
(fig) to live
to draw (something) into lungs
to whisper
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Anagrams [edit]

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