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Breathe

//bɹiːð// verb

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases. intransitive
  2. 2
    draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs wordnet
  3. 3
    To take in needed gases and expel waste gases in a similar way. intransitive

    "Fish have gills so they can breathe underwater."

  4. 4
    expel (gases or odors) wordnet
  5. 5
    To inhale (a gas) to sustain life. transitive

    "While life as we know it depends on oxygen, scientists have speculated that alien life forms might breathe chlorine or methane."

Show 21 more definitions
  1. 6
    reach full flavor by absorbing air and being let to stand after having been uncorked wordnet
  2. 7
    To live. figuratively, intransitive

    "I will not allow it, as long as I still breathe."

  3. 8
    take a short break from one's activities in order to relax wordnet
  4. 9
    To draw something into the lungs. transitive

    "Try not to breathe too much smoke."

  5. 10
    manifest or evince wordnet
  6. 11
    To expel air from the lungs, exhale. intransitive

    "If you breathe on a mirror, it will fog up."

  7. 12
    utter or tell wordnet
  8. 13
    To exhale or expel (something) in the manner of breath. transitive

    "The flowers breathed a heady perfume."

  9. 14
    impart as if by breathing wordnet
  10. 15
    To give an impression of, to exude. transitive

    "The decor positively breathes classical elegance."

  11. 16
    be alive wordnet
  12. 17
    To whisper quietly. transitive

    "He breathed the words into her ear, but she understood them all."

  13. 18
    allow the passage of air through wordnet
  14. 19
    To pass like breath; noiselessly or gently; to emanate; to blow gently.

    "The wind breathes through the trees."

  15. 20
    To inspire (scripture).

    "The affirmation before us, then, will be, "All scripture is divinely breathed.""

  16. 21
    To exchange gases with the environment. intransitive

    "Uncork the wine and leave it on the table for a few minutes to allow it to breathe."

  17. 22
    Of a material etc., to allow gases to pass through. intransitive

    "Garments made of certain new materials breathe well and keep the skin relatively dry during exercise."

  18. 23
    To rest; to stop and catch one's breath. archaic, intransitive

    "Thenne they lasshed to gyder many sad strokes / & tracyd and trauercyd now bakward / now sydelyng hurtlyng to gyders lyke two bores / & that same tyme they felle both grouelyng to the erthe / Thus they fought styll withoute ony reposynge two houres and neuer brethed"

  19. 24
    To stop, to give (a horse) an opportunity to catch its breath. transitive

    "At higher altitudes you need to breathe your horse more often."

  20. 25
    To exercise; to tire by brisk exercise. transitive
  21. 26
    To passionately devote much of one's life to (an activity, etc.). figuratively, transitive

    "―Do you like hiking? ―Are you kidding? I breathe hiking."

Etymology

From Middle English brethen (“to breathe, blow, exhale, odour”), derived from Middle English breth (“breath”). Eclipsed Middle English ethien and orðiæn, from Old English ēþian and orþian (“to breathe”); as well as Middle English anden, onden, from Old Norse anda (“to breathe”). More at breath.

See also for "breathe"

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