breathing

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɹiːðɪŋ/

Verb

breathing

1. present participle of breathe

Noun

breathing (countable and uncountable, plural breathings)

1. The act of respiration; a single instance of this.
2. A diacritical mark indicating aspiration or lack thereof.
3. (archaic) Time to recover one's breath; hence, a delay, a spell of time.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act 2 Scene 1

     DON PEDRO. Count Claudio, when mean you to go to church?

     CLAUDIO. To-morrow, my lord. Time goes on crutches till love have all his rites.

     LEONATO. Not till Monday, my dear son, which is hence a just seven-night; and a time too brief too, to have all things answer my mind.

     DON PEDRO. Come, you shake the head at so long a breathing; but, I warrant thee, Claudio, the time shall not go dully by us.

4. Any gentle influence or operation; inspiration.

   the breathings of the Holy Spirit

5. Aspiration; secret prayer.
   • Tillotson

     earnest desires and breathings after that blessed state

Translations

act of respiration

• Arabic: تَنَفُس‎ m (tanafus)

  Egyptian Arabic: تنفس‎ m (tanafus)

• Bulgarian: дишане (bg) (dišane)
• Dutch: ademhaling (nl) f
• Finnish: hengitys (fi); henkäys (fi) (single instance)

• Russian: дыха́ние (ru) n (dyxánije)
• Slovak: dýchanie n
• Spanish: respiración (es) f
• Swedish: andning (sv) c
• Tagalog: paghinga