BREATHING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does breathing mean? 

• BREATHING (noun)
  The noun BREATHING has 1 sense:

1. the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation

  Familiarity information: BREATHING used as a noun is very rare.

• BREATHING (adjective)
  The adjective BREATHING has 1 sense:

1. passing or able to pass air in and out of the lungs normally; sometimes used in combination

  Familiarity information: BREATHING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BREATHING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

breathing; external respiration; respiration; ventilation

Hypernyms ("breathing" is a kind of...):

activity; bodily function; bodily process; body process (an organic process that takes place in the body)

Meronyms (parts of "breathing"):

breathing out; exhalation; expiration (the act of expelling air from the lungs)

aspiration; breathing in; inhalation; inspiration; intake (the act of inhaling; the drawing in of air (or other gases) as in breathing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "breathing"):

artificial respiration (an emergency procedure whereby breathing is maintained artificially)

abdominal breathing (breathing in which most of the respiratory effort is done by the abdominal muscles)

eupnea; eupnoea (normal relaxed breathing)

hyperpnea (energetic (deep and rapid) respiration that occurs normally after exercise or abnormally with fever or various disorders)

hypopnea (slow or shallow breathing)

hyperventilation (an increased depth and rate of breathing greater than demanded by the body needs; can cause dizziness and tingling of the fingers and toes and chest pain if continued)

heaving; panting (breathing heavily (as after exertion))

Cheyne-Stokes respiration; periodic breathing (abnormal respiration in which periods of shallow and deep breathing alternate)

smoke; smoking (the act of smoking tobacco or other substances)

snore; snoring; stertor (the act of snoring or producing a snoring sound)

sniffle; snivel; snuffle (the act of breathing heavily through the nose (as when the nose is congested))

wheeze (breathing with a husky or whistling sound)

second wind (the return of relatively easy breathing after initial exhaustion during continuous exertion)

Derivation:

breathe (draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs)

breathe (take a short break from one's activities in order to relax)

• BREATHING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Passing or able to pass air in and out of the lungs normally; sometimes used in combination

Synonyms:

breathing; eupneic; eupnoeic

Context example:

the heavy-breathing person on the telephone

Similar:

sweet-breathed (having breath or breath as specified)

Antonym:

breathless (not breathing or able to breathe except with difficulty)

 Context examples 

The reaction may include itchy skin, edema, collapsed blood vessels, fainting, difficulty in breathing, and death.

(Anaphylactic shock, NCI Dictionary)

It results from the release of histamine and histamine-like substances from mast cells, and can present with breathing difficulty due to narrowed airways, dizziness and hypotension, skin rash, weak pulse, nausea and vomiting.

(Anaphylaxis, NCI Thesaurus)

Clinically, it presents with breathing difficulty, dizziness, hypotension, cyanosis and loss of consciousness and may lead to death.

(Anaphylaxis, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

These areas are breathing, muscle tone, pulse rate, reflex irritability and skin color.

(Apgar Score, NCI Thesaurus)

You might want to include instructions on: • The use of dialysis and breathing machines • If you want to be resuscitated if your breathing or heartbeat stops • Tube feeding • Organ or tissue donation

(Advance Directives, NIH: National Cancer Institute)

Unlike morphine, PZM21 did not slow the animals’ breathing, and it caused less constipation.

(Designing more effective opioids, NIH)

Arsenic-breathing microorganisms may make up less than 1% of the microbe population in these waters.

(Arsenic-breathing microbes discovered in the tropical Pacific Ocean, National Science Foundation)

A disorder characterized by cessation of breathing.

(Apnea, NCI Thesaurus/CTCAE)

The cessation of breathing in premature infants that lasts for more than 15-20 seconds.

(Apnea of Prematurity, NCI Thesaurus)

When something goes wrong in this system, it can cause serious problems, including: • Blood pressure problems • Heart problems • Trouble with breathing and swallowing • Erectile dysfunction in men

(Autonomic Nervous System Disorders, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)