breathing space
See also: breathing-space
English
Alternative forms
Noun
breathing space (countable and uncountable, plural breathing spaces)
- Sufficient space or a span of time in which to recover one's breath.
- Synonyms: breathing room, breathing spell, breathing while
- 1842, Thomas Babbington Macaulay, "Horatius", stanza 45:
- He reeled, and on Herminius
- He leaned one breathing-space;
- Then, like a wild cat mad with wounds,
- Sprang right at Astur's face.
- A rest, pause, or respite.
- Enough distance so that one can feel unfettered.
- Don't fret, in our division you get a lot of breathing space.
- 2011 November 10, Jeremy Wilson, “England Under 21 5 Iceland Under 21 0: match report”, in Telegraph[1]:
- Martin Kelly then finished with power to provide some breathing space before Craig Dawson’s scored his fourth goal in five England Under-21 appearances with a looping header.