breathe

verb breathes · breathing · breathed · breathe

1. intransitive To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases.

   Similar: respire

2. intransitive To take in needed gases and expel waste gases in a similar way. Fish have gills so they can breathe underwater.
3. transitive To inhale (a gas) to sustain life. While life as we know it depends on oxygen, scientists have speculated that alien life forms might breathe chlorine or methane.
4. figuratively, intransitive To live. I will not allow it, as long as I still breathe.
5. transitive To draw something into the lungs. Try not to breathe too much smoke.
6. intransitive To expel air from the lungs, exhale. If you breathe on a mirror, it will fog up.
7. transitive To exhale or expel (something) in the manner of breath. The flowers breathed a heady perfume.
8. transitive To give an impression of, to exude. The decor positively breathes classical elegance.
9. transitive To whisper quietly. He breathed the words into her ear, but she understood them all.
10. To pass like breath; noiselessly or gently; to emanate; to blow gently. The wind breathes through the trees.
11. with God as agent To inspire (scripture). The affirmation before us, then, will be, "All scripture is divinely breathed."
12. intransitive To exchange gases with the environment. Uncork the wine and leave it on the table for a few minutes to allow it to breathe.
13. intransitive Of a material etc., to allow gases to pass through. Garments made of certain new materials breathe well and keep the skin relatively dry during exercise.
14. archaic, intransitive To rest; to stop and catch one's breath. 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
15. transitive To stop, to give (a horse) an opportunity to catch its breath. At higher altitudes you need to breathe your horse more often.
16. transitive To exercise; to tire by brisk exercise.
17. figuratively, transitive To passionately devote much of one's life to (an activity, etc.). ―Do you like hiking? ―Are you kidding? I breathe hiking.

Similar: live and breathe, breathe, draw breath, inbreathe, spire, suspire · Opposite: asphyxiate, choke, hold one's breath, suffocate