Library / English Dictionary

BREATHE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs

Example:

The patient is respiring

Synonyms:

breathe; respire; suspire; take a breath

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

"Breathe" entails doing...:

breathe out; exhale; expire (expel air)

breathe in; inhale; inspire (draw in (air))

Verb group:

respire (breathe easily again, as after exertion or anxiety)

respire (undergo the biomedical and metabolic processes of respiration by taking up oxygen and producing carbon monoxide)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "breathe"):

respire (breathe easily again, as after exertion or anxiety)

choke (breathe with great difficulty, as when experiencing a strong emotion)

hyperventilate (breathe excessively hard and fast)

hiccough; hiccup (breathe spasmodically, and make a sound)

sigh; suspire (heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily)

breathe out; exhale; expire (expel air)

breathe in; inhale; inspire (draw in (air))

wheeze (breathe with difficulty)

yawn (utter a yawn, as from lack of oxygen or when one is tired)

saw logs; saw wood; snore (breathe noisily during one's sleep)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Also:

breathe in (draw in (air))

breathe out (expel air)

Derivation:

breather (air passage provided by a retractable device containing intake and exhaust pipes; permits a submarine to stay submerged for extended periods of time)

breathing (the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Expel (gases or odors)

Synonyms:

breathe; emit; pass off

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "breathe" is one way to...):

discharge; eject; exhaust; expel; release (eliminate (a substance))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "breathe"):

belch; bubble; burp; eruct (expel gas from the stomach)

force out (emit or cause to move with force of effort)

emanate; exhale; give forth (give out (breath or an odor))

radiate (send out real or metaphoric rays)

bubble (form, produce, or emit bubbles)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Reach full flavor by absorbing air and being let to stand after having been uncorked

Example:

This rare Bordeaux must be allowed to breathe for at least 2 hours

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "breathe" is one way to...):

oxidate; oxidise; oxidize (add oxygen to or combine with oxygen)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 4

Meaning:

Take a short break from one's activities in order to relax

Synonyms:

breathe; catch one's breath; rest; take a breather

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "breathe" is one way to...):

break; intermit; pause (cease an action temporarily)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue breathe

Derivation:

breather (a short respite)

breathing (the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Manifest or evince

Example:

She breathes the Christian spirit

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "breathe" is one way to...):

convey ((of information) make known; pass on)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Sense 6

Meaning:

Utter or tell

Example:

not breathe a word

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "breathe" is one way to...):

express; give tongue to; utter; verbalise; verbalize (articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 7

Meaning:

Impart as if by breathing

Example:

He breathed new life into the old house

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "breathe" is one way to...):

instill; transfuse (impart gradually)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 8

Meaning:

Be alive

Example:

Every creature that breathes

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "breathe" is one way to...):

exist; live; subsist; survive (support oneself)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sense 9

Meaning:

Allow the passage of air through

Example:

Our new synthetic fabric breathes and is perfect for summer wear

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "breathe" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Credits

 Context examples: 

A mind-body practice in which a person focuses his or her attention on something, such as an object, word, phrase, or breathing, in order to minimize distracting or stressful thoughts or feelings.

(Meditation, NCI Dictionary)

When they affect your breathing or heart function, these disorders can be life-threatening.

(Autonomic Nervous System Disorders, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Mina sat rigid, and the Professor stood staring at her fixedly; the rest of us hardly dared to breathe.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

It showed that silencing astrocytes in the brain’s breathing center caused rats to breathe at a lower rate and tire out on a treadmill earlier than normal.

(Star-like cells may help the brain tune breathing rhythms, National Institutes of Health)

A chronic respiratory disease manifested as difficulty breathing due to the narrowing of bronchial passageways.

(Asthma, NCI Thesaurus)

Children with asthma may experience wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and trouble breathing, especially early in the morning or at night.

(Asthma in Children, NIH)

This causes scarring and inflammation, and can affect breathing.

(Asbestos, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry)

For older women, breathing air that is heavily polluted by vehicle exhaust and other sources of fine particulates nearly doubles the likelihood of developing dementia, finds a study published Tuesday.

(The Surprising Link between Air Pollution, Alzheimer’s Disease, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

When sewn into a shirt, these yarns served as a self-powered breathing monitor.

(Energy-Harvesting Yarns Generate Electricity, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The World Health Organization reports more than 90 percent, or nearly 2 billion children under the age of 15, breathe toxic air every day.

(WAir Pollution a Health Risk for Children, Lisa Schlein/VOA)