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breathe
[breeth]
verb (used without object)
to take air, oxygen, etc., into the lungs and expel it; inhale and exhale; respire.
(in speech) to control the outgoing breath in producing voice and speech sounds.
to pause, as for breath or rest.
How about giving me a chance to breathe?
to move gently or blow lightly, as air.
Hardly a person breathes who has not known great sorrow.
to be redolent or suggestive.
a poem breathing of the sights and sounds of a rustic life.
(of a material) to allow air and moisture to pass through easily.
The jacket is comfortable because the fabric breathes.
(of the skin) to absorb oxygen and give off perspiration.
(of a wine) to be exposed to air after being uncorked, in order to develop flavor and bouquet.
verb (used with object)
to inhale and exhale in respiration.
to exhale.
Dragons breathe fire.
to inject as if by breathing; infuse.
She breathed life into the party.
to give utterance to; whisper.
She breathed a prayer of thanks when everyone escaped the fire unharmed.
This coming-of-age novel breathes the torments and joys of adolescence.
Synonyms: , , , , ,to allow to rest or recover breath.
After this next hill, we should breathe the horses.
to cause to pant; exercise.
breathe
/ ²ú°ù¾±Ëð /
verb
to take in oxygen from (the surrounding medium, esp air) and give out carbon dioxide; respire
(intr) to exist; be alive
every animal that breathes on earth
(intr) to rest to regain breath, composure, etc
stop your questions, and give me a chance to breathe
(intr) (esp of air) to blow lightly
the wind breathed through the trees
(intr) machinery
to take in air, esp for combustion
the engine breathes through this air filter
to equalize the pressure within a container, chamber, etc, with atmospheric pressure
the crankcase breathes through this duct
(tr) phonetics to articulate (a speech sound) without vibration of the vocal cords Compare voice
to exhale or emit
the dragon breathed fire
(tr) to impart; instil
to breathe confidence into the actors
(tr) to speak softly; whisper
to breathe words of love
(tr) to permit to rest
to breathe a horse
(intr) (of a material) to allow air to pass through so that perspiration can evaporate
to feel relief
I could breathe again after passing the exam
to stay close to someone, esp to oversee what they are doing
the cops are breathing down my neck
to die or be finished or defeated
Other 51³Ô¹Ï Forms
- outbreathe verb (used with object)
- prebreathe verb (used with object)
51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins
51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins
Origin of breathe1
Idioms and Phrases
not breathe a word / syllable, to maintain secrecy; keep a matter confidential.
I'll tell you if you promise not to breathe a word.
breathe one's last, to die.
He breathed his last and was buried in the churchyard.
breathe freely, to have relief from anxiety, tension, or pressure: Also breathe easily, breathe easy.
Now that the crisis was over, he could breathe freely.
breathe down someone's neck,
Example Sentences
"The fire and smoke of the crashed plane was close to our face and it was hard to breathe."
Mr Deans was pulled out of the water by the volunteers who confirmed he was still breathing.
He suffered a punctured lung, spine fractures and a fractured pelvis as well as a flail chest, where multiple broken ribs cause the chest wall to become unstable and interfere with breathing.
There was barely a moment to breathe - with Pitbull's several outfit changes punctuated by DJ sets that kept the momentum going.
They create the sense that there is more air to breathe and more room to act than there was yesterday.
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When To Use
The verb breathe is hard to spell because it is commonly confused with the noun breath, and it only differs by adding a silent e to the end.How to spell breathe: The verb breathe is pronounced [ breeth ] with a long E sound, unlike the noun breath [ breath ]. All that E sound reminds you that there is a final e at the end of breathe.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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