breathe
English
/bɹiːð/, /bɹið/
verb
Definitions
- (intransitive) To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases.
- (intransitive) To take in needed gases and expel waste gases in a similar way.
- (transitive) To inhale (a gas) to sustain life.
- (intransitive) To live.
- (transitive) To draw something into the lungs.
- (intransitive) To expel air from the lungs, exhale.
- (transitive) To exhale or expel (something) in the manner of breath.
- (transitive) To give an impression of, to exude.
- (transitive) To whisper quietly.
- To pass like breath; noiselessly or gently; to emanate; to blow gently.
- (intransitive) To exchange gases with the environment.
- (intransitive) To rest; to stop and catch one's breath.
- (transitive) To stop, to give a horse an opportunity to catch its breath.
- (transitive) To exercise; to tire by brisk exercise.
- (transitive) To passionately devote much of one's life to (an activity, etc.).
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English brethen (odour, breathe, blow, exhale), breth (breath).
Origin
Middle English
breth
Gloss
breath
Concept
Semantic Field
The body
Ontological Category
Other
Kanji
息
Emoji
🫁
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- airbreather English
- breathability English
- breathable English
- breathableness English
- breathed English
- breather English
- breathest English
- breatheth English
- embreathe English
- firebreather English
- imbreathe English
- inbreathe English
- interbreather English
- misbreathe English
- multibreather English
- nonbreathable English
- outbreathe English
- overbreathe English
- overbreathed English
- phonobreather English
- rebreathe English
- unbreathable English
- unbreathed English
- underbreathe English
- upbreathe English
- breth Middle English
- brethen Middle English
- inbrethen Middle English