breathe

Verb

breathe (third-person singular simple present breathes, present participle breathing, simple past and past participle breathed)

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

   Synonyms:

   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.
   • I am in health, I breathe.1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to...
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.
   • Mountain Drakes breathe fire, Ice Drakes breathe ice, Swamp Drakes breathe acid, and Forest Drakes breathe lightning.2012, Timothy Groves, The Book Of Creatures, →ISBN, page 85
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.
    • The air breathes upon us here most sweetly.1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published...
11. (chiefly Evangelical and Charismatic Christianity) To inspire (scripture).
    • The affirmation before us, then, will be, "All scripture is divinely breathed."1850, John Howard Hinton, On the Divine Inspiration of the Scriptures. A lecture, etc, page 16
    • […] that God, who breathed the Scriptures, "cannot lie," […]1917, J. C. Ferdinand Pittman, Bible Truths Illustrated: For the Use of Preachers, Teachers, Bible-school, Christian Endeavor, Temperance and Other Christian Workers, page 168
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.