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Webster 1913 Edition


Breathing

Breath′ing

,
Noun.
1.
Respiration; the act of inhaling and exhaling air.
Subject to a difficulty of
breathing
.
Melmoth.
2.
Air in gentle motion.
3.
Any gentle influence or operation; inspiration;
as, the
breathings
of the Spirit
.
4.
Aspiration; secret prayer.
“Earnest desires and breathings after that blessed state.”
Tillotson.
5.
Exercising; promotion of respiration.
Here is a lady that wants
breathing
too;
And I have heard, you knights of Tyre
Are excellent in making ladies trip.
Shakespeare
6.
Utterance; communication or publicity by words.
I am sorry to give
breathing
to my purpose.
Shakespeare
7.
Breathing place; vent.
Dryden.
8.
Stop; pause; delay.
You shake the head at so long a
breathing
.
Shakespeare
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.
10.
(Gr. Gram.)
A mark to indicate aspiration or its absence. See
Rough breathing
,
Smooth breathing
, below.
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
) (ʽ).
See 2d
Asper
,
Noun.
Smooth breathing
(
spiritus lenis
),
a mark (’) indicating the absence of the sound of h, as in
ἰέναι
(ienai).

Webster 1828 Edition


Breathing

BRE'ATHING

,
ppr.
Respiring; living; uttering.
1.
Exhibiting to the life; as breathing paint.

BRE'ATHING

,
Noun.
Respiration; the act of inhaling and exhaling air.
1.
Aspiration; secret prayer.
2.
Breathing-place; vent.
3.
Accent; aspiration.

BRE'ATHING

-PLACE,
Noun.
A pause.
1.
A vent.

Definition 2024


breathing

breathing

English

Verb

breathing

  1. present participle of breathe

Noun

breathing (plural breathings)

  1. The act of respiration; a single instance of this.
  2. A diacritical mark indicating aspiration or lack thereof.
  3. (archaic) Time to recover one's breath; hence, a delay, a spell of time.
    • 1599, William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act 2 Scene 1
      DON PEDRO. Count Claudio, when mean you to go to church?
      CLAUDIO. To-morrow, my lord. Time goes on crutches till love have all his rites.
      LEONATO. Not till Monday, my dear son, which is hence a just seven-night; and a time too brief too, to have all things answer my mind.
      DON PEDRO. Come, you shake the head at so long a breathing; but, I warrant thee, Claudio, the time shall not go dully by us.
  4. Any gentle influence or operation; inspiration.
    the breathings of the Holy Spirit
  5. Aspiration; secret prayer.
    • Tillotson
      earnest desires and breathings after that blessed state

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