n. [ OE. breth, breeth, AS. br&aemacr_;ð odor, scent, breath; cf. OHG. brādam steam, vapor, breath, G. brodem, and possibly E. Brawn, and Breed. ] 1. The air inhaled and exhaled in respiration; air which, in the process of respiration, has parted with oxygen and has received carbonic acid, aqueous vapor, warmth, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Melted as breath into the wind. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of breathing naturally or freely; the power or capacity to breathe freely; as, I am out of breath. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The power of respiration, and hence, life. Hood. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou takest away their breath, they die. Ps. civ. 29. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Time to breathe; respite; pause. [ 1913 Webster ]

Give me some breath, some little pause. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A single respiration, or the time of making it; a single act; an instant. [ 1913 Webster ]

He smiles and he frowns in a breath. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Fig.: That which gives or strengthens life. [ 1913 Webster ]

The earthquake voice of victory,
To thee the breath of life. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. A single word; the slightest effort; a trifle. [ 1913 Webster ]

A breath can make them, as a breath has made. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. A very slight breeze; air in gentle motion. [ 1913 Webster ]

Calm and unruffled as a summer's sea,
when not a breath of wind flies o'er its surface. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. Fragrance; exhalation; odor; perfume. Tennison. [ 1913 Webster ]

The breath of flowers. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. Gentle exercise, causing a quicker respiration. [ 1913 Webster ]

An after dinner's breath. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Out of breath, breathless, exhausted; breathing with difficulty. --
Under one's breath, in low tones. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Such as can be breathed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. State of being breathable. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. to test the alcohol content of someone's blood by means of a breathalyzer.
Syn. -- breathalyse. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ a Trademark. ]a device that measures alcohol content of a person's breath.
Syn. -- breathalyser, breath analyzer. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Breathed p. pr. & vb. n. Breathing. ] [ From Breath. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To respire; to inhale and exhale air; hence;, to live. “I am in health, I breathe.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Breathes there a man with soul so dead
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own, my native land! Sir W. Scott [ The Lay of the Last Minstrel ]. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

2. To take breath; to rest from action. [ 1913 Webster ]

Well! breathe awhile, and then to it again! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To pass like breath; noiselessly or gently; to exhale; to emanate; to blow gently. [ 1913 Webster ]

The air breathes upon us here most sweetly. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

There breathes a living fragrance from the shore. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To inhale and exhale in the process of respiration; to respire. [ 1913 Webster ]

To view the light of heaven, and breathe the vital air. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To inject by breathing; to infuse; -- with into. [ 1913 Webster ]

Able to breathe life into a stone. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Gen. ii. 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To emit or utter by the breath; to utter softly; to whisper; as, to breathe a vow. [ 1913 Webster ]

He softly breathed thy name. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Or let the church, our mother, breathe her curse,
A mother's curse, on her revolting son. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To exhale; to emit, as breath; as, the flowers breathe odors or perfumes. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To express; to manifest; to give forth. [ 1913 Webster ]

Others articles breathe the same severe spirit. Milner. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To act upon by the breath; to cause to sound by breathing. “They breathe the flute.” Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To promote free respiration in; to exercise. [ 1913 Webster ]

And every man should beat thee. I think thou wast created for men to breathe themselves upon thee. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. To suffer to take breath, or recover the natural breathing; to rest; as, to breathe a horse. [ 1913 Webster ]

A moment breathed his panting steed. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. To put out of breath; to exhaust. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mr. Tulkinghorn arrives in his turret room, a little breathed by the journey up. Dickens. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. (Phonetics) To utter without vocality, as the nonvocal consonants. [ 1913 Webster ]

The same sound may be pronounces either breathed, voiced, or whispered. H. Sweet. [ 1913 Webster ]

Breathed elements, being already voiceless, remain unchanged [ in whispering ]. H. Sweet. [ 1913 Webster ]

To breathe again, to take breath; to feel a sense of relief, as from danger, responsibility, or press of business. --
To breathe one's last, to die; to expire. --
To breathe a vein, to open a vein; to let blood. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. having breath or breath as specified; usually used in combination; as, sweet-breathed. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. uttered without voice.
Syn. -- voiceless. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. One who breathes. Hence: (a) One who lives. (b) One who utters. (c) One who animates or inspires. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which puts one out of breath, as violent exercise. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. a pause to catch one's breath, or for some other form of rest or refreshment; -- often used in the phrase
to take a breather, i.e. to pause for refreshment. [ Colloq. ] [ PJC ]

4. a vent in a container to allow equalization of internal and external pressure. [ PJC ]

5. an air intake pipe to provide air to machinery or people submerged or otherwise sealed off from the outside. [ PJC ]

a. Full of breath; full of odor; fragrant. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Respiration; the act of inhaling and exhaling air. [ 1913 Webster ]

Subject to a difficulty of breathing. Melmoth. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Air in gentle motion. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Any gentle influence or operation; inspiration; as, the breathings of the Spirit. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Aspiration; secret prayer. “Earnest desires and breathings after that blessed state.” Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Exercising; promotion of respiration. [ 1913 Webster ]

Here is a lady that wants breathing too;
And I have heard, you knights of Tyre
Are excellent in making ladies trip. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Utterance; communication or publicity by words. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am sorry to give breathing to my purpose. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Breathing place; vent. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. Stop; pause; delay. [ 1913 Webster ]

You shake the head at so long a breathing. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. Also, in a wider sense, the sound caused by the friction of the outgoing breath in the throat, mouth, etc., when the glottis is wide open; aspiration; the sound expressed by the letter h. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. (Gr. Gram.) A mark to indicate aspiration or its absence. See Rough breathing, Smooth breathing, below. [ 1913 Webster ]

Breathing place. (a) A pause. “That cæsura, or breathing place, in the midst of the verse.” Sir P. Sidney. (b) A vent. --
Breathing time, pause; relaxation. Bp. Hall. --
Breathing while, time sufficient for drawing breath; a short time. Shak. --
Rough breathing (spiritus asper) (&asper_;). See 2d Asper, n. --
Smooth breathing (spiritus lenis), a mark (') indicating the absence of the sound of h, as in 'ie`nai (ienai). [ 1913 Webster ]

[1913 Webster]

a. 1. Spent with labor or violent action; out of breath. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not breathing; holding the breath, on account of fear, expectation, or intense interest; attended with a holding of the breath; as, breathless attention. [ 1913 Webster ]

But breathless, as we grow when feeling most. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Dead; as, a breathless body. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a breathless manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being breathless or out of breath. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of breathing in; inspiration. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The special and immediate suggestion, embreathement, and dictation of the Holy Ghost. W. Lee. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Inbreathed p. pr. & vb. n. Inbreathing. ] To infuse by breathing; to inspire. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Breathing or exhaling incense. “Incense-breathing morn.” Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having the power of retaining the breath for a long time; long-winded. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To breathe forth. “Outbreathed life.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To cause to be out of breath; to exhaust. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To issue, as breath; to be breathed out; to exhale. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. breathing laboriously or convulsively. [ predicate ]
Syn. -- gasping, panting, pursy, short-winded, winded. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. To breathe again. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A portable device to allow divers to breathe while under water, consisting of one or two tanks of compressed air which are strapped onto the back of the diver, and are connected by tubing to a mouthpiece through which the diver receives the air from the tanks at rate adjustable by a valve; -- called also SCUBA, SCUBA gear, or SCUBA apparatus. [ PJC ]

a. 1. Having short-breath, or quick respiration. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Having short life. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Not breathed. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not exercised; unpracticed. [ Obs. ] “Their unbreathed memories.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

See accommodating.
See aching.
See ailing.
See aiming.
See alarming.
See altering.
See appreciating.
See approving.
See aspiring.
See assisting.
See attempting.
See attending.
See bearing.
See befitting.
See beginning.
See believing.
See bleaching.
See bleeding.
See blemishing.
See blenching.
See blossoming.
See blushing.
See boding.
See branching.
See breathing.
See burning.
See calculating.
See ceasing.
See changing.
See charming.
See communicating.
See complaining.
See complying.
See conceiving.
See conducing.
See confessing.
See conniving.
See consenting.
See considering.
See conspiring.
See consulting.
See consuming.
See contending.
See contriving.
See conversing.
See convincing.
See dawning.
See decaying.
See delaying.
See depending.
See derogating.
See deserving.
See desiring.
See despairing.
See detesting.
See deviating.
See differencing.
See discerning.
See discording.
See discriminating.
See disobliging.
See dispensing.
See dissembling.
See dissolving.
See distinguishing.
See distracting.
See disturbing.
See doubting.
See dreading.
See drooping.
See ebbing.
See echoing.
See edifying.
See ending.
See enduring.
See engaging.
See enjoying.
See entering.
See enterprising.
See entertaining.
See envying.
See existing.
See fadging.
See fading.
See fainting.
See faltering.
See fearing.
See feigning.
See fighting.
See fitting.
See flagging.
See flattering.
See flinching.
See folding.
See forbearing.
See foreboding.
See foreseeing.
See forgiving.
See giving.
See grudging.
See harming.
See heeding.
See hesitating.
See hoping.
See hurting.
See importing.
See imposing.
See improving.
See interesting.
See intermitting.
See intoxicating.
See inviting.
See jarring.
See laboring.
See lingering.
See listening.
See loving.
See meddling.
See meriting.
See mistrusting.
See moving.
See murmuring.
See obliging.
See observing.
See offending.
See opening.
See pardoning.
See paying.
See perceiving.
See performing.
See perishing.
See pitying.
See pleasing.
See possessing.
See preaching.
See prepossessing.
See presuming.
See pretending.
See prevailing.
See prevaricating.
See profiting.
See promising.
See proving.
See quailing.
See questioning.
See reasoning.
See recalling.
See reclining.
See recurring.
See referring.
See reflecting.
See refunding.
See refusing.
See rejoicing.
See relaxing.
See relishing.
See remembering.
See repenting.
See repining.
See reproving.
See repulsing.
See resisting.
See resolving.
See resting.
See returning.
See rewarding.
See sanctifying.
See satisfying.
See searching.
See seeing.
See setting.
See shrinking.
See sinking.
See sleeping.
See slipping.
See slumbering.
See speaking.
See stinting.
See stirring.
See stooping.
See submitting.
See sufficing.
See suiting.
See surging.
See suspecting.
See sweating.
See swerving.
See sympathizing.
See tasting.
See thriving.
See tiring.
See toiling.
See trading.
See trembling.
See trespassing.
See trifling.
See vacillating.
See varying.
See walking.
See wandering.
See waning.
See wasting.
See wavering.
See weeping.
See winking.
See winning.
See withdrawing.
See withering.
See wondering.
See working.
See writing.
See yielding.
----- and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The above classes of words are unlimited in extent, and such compounds may be formed by any writer or speaker at will from almost all the adjectives or participles in the language, excepting those which have a recognized and usual negative correspondent with the prefix -in. No attempt will be made, therefore, to define them all in this Dictionary; many will be omitted from its Vocabulary which are negations of the simple word, and are readily explained by prefixing a not to the latter. Derivatives of these words in -ly and -ness will also, for the most part, be omitted for the same or similar reasons. [ 1913 Webster ]

There will be inserted as separate articles with definitions, the following: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Those which have acquired an opposed or contrary, instead of a merely negative, meaning; as, unfriendly, ungraceful, unpalatable, unquiet, and the like; or else an intensive sense more than a prefixed not would express; as, unending, unparalleled, undisciplined, undoubted, unsafe, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Those which have the value of independent words, inasmuch as the simple words are either not used at all, or are rarely, or at least much less frequently, used; as, unavoidable, unconscionable, undeniable, unspeakable, unprecedented, unruly, and the like; or inasmuch as they are used in a different sense from the usual meaning of the primitive, or especially in one of the significations of the latter; as, unaccountable, unalloyed, unbelieving, unpretending, unreserved, and the like; or inasmuch as they are so frequently and familiarly used that they are hardly felt to be of negative origin; as, uncertain, uneven, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Those which are anomalous, provincial, or, for some other reason, not desirable to be used, and are so indicated; as, unpure for impure, unsatisfaction for dissatisfaction, unexpressible for inexpressible, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

II. Un- is prefixed to nouns to express the absence of, or the contrary of, that which the noun signifies; as, unbelief, unfaith, unhealth, unrest, untruth, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Compounds of this last class are given in full in their proper order in the Vocabulary. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To breathe up or out; to exhale. [ Obs. ] Marston. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) Any arthropod that breathes by means of gills. [ 1913 Webster ]