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1. The bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation
   - external respiration, respiration, ventilation

1. Passing or able to pass air in and out of the lungs normally; sometimes used in combination
   "the heavy-breathing person on the telephone"; "the boy was disappointed to find only skeletons instead of living breathing dinosaurs";
   - eupneic, eupnoeic

1. Draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs
   "I can breathe better when the air is clean";
   - take a breath, respire, suspire [literary]
    
2. Be alive
   "Every creature that breathes"
    
3. Impart as if by breathing
   "He breathed new life into the old house"
    
4. Allow the passage of air through
   "Our new synthetic fabric breathes and is perfect for summer wear"
    
5. Utter or tell
   "not breathe a word"
    
6. Manifest or evince
   "She breathes the Christian spirit"
    
7. Take a short break from one's activities in order to relax
   - rest, catch one's breath, take a breather
    
8. Reach full flavour by absorbing air and being let to stand after having been uncorked
   "This rare Bordeaux must be allowed to breathe for at least 2 hours"
    
9. Expel (gases or odours)
   - emit, pass off

Derived forms: breathings

See also: breathe in, expire, sweet-breathed

Type of: activity, be, bodily function, bodily process, body process, break, convey, discharge, eject, exhaust, exist, expel, express, give tongue to, instill, intermit, live, oxidate, oxidise [Brit], oxidize, pause, release, subsist, survive, transfuse, utter, verbalise [Brit], verbalize

Antonym: dyspneic [Brit, N. Amer]

Encyclopedia: Breathing