noun
breath
BRETH/breθ/
Air moving into or out of the lungs.
The man's breath fogs the cold mirror near his face.
Etymology
Old English bræð referred to odors, exhalations, and vapor. The modern lung-air sense develops from this broader idea of something given off into the air.
In context
During a normal breath, it contracts downwards smoothly, giving your lungs more room to expand. Air moves in because pressure inside your chest falls while the upper airway stays open.
More examples
- Take one slow breath before speaking.
- A breath of wind stirs the light curtain.
- There was not a breath of suspicion against her.
Forms
breath · breaths
breathless adjective — Unable to breathe easily.
Similar words
- exhalation
- Specifically air or the action of breathing outward.