breath

BRETH/bɹɛθ/

Pluralbreaths

Often confused with breathe

8 meanings of breath

Practice

1
nouncountable
A single time when you take air into your body or push it back out.
Like one push of a bicycle pump.
She took a deep breath before diving into the pool.
He counted ten slow breaths to calm himself down.
Similarinhalation
Note
2
noununcountable
The way you take air in and out to stay alive.
Like a pump that keeps moving air in and out without stopping.
Yoga teaches you to control your breath.
Her breath was slow and even while she slept.
Similarbreathing, respiration
3
noununcountable
The air that comes out of your body when you breathe out.
Like the steam that rises from a hot drink.
You could see his breath in the cold morning air.
Her breath smelled of mint after the gum.
Similarexhalation
4
nouncountable
A short break or pause.
Like a short rest stop on a long walk.
Let's take a breath before we start the next part.
The speaker paused for a breath between her main points.
Similarpause, rest, respite, break, lull
5
nouncountable or uncountable
A very small amount of something, such as a light wind.
Like just a tiny drop in a big glass.
There wasn't a breath of wind all afternoon.
A breath of cool air came through the open window.
Similarhint, trace, whiff, touch, puff
Note
6
adjective
Made with air only, without the voice: like the soft 's' sound.
Like blowing air through a flute without humming any note.
A whisper uses only breath sounds, with no voice at all.
The breath consonants feel like soft puffs of air.
Similarvoiceless, unvoiced
Oppositevoiced
Note

Less common meanings

7
nounobsoletecountable or uncountable
A sweet smell that comes from something, such as a flower.
Like the sweet smell that drifts from fresh bread.
The breath of the roses filled the warm garden.
the breath of flowers
1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Gardens”Here, breath means a sweet smell given off by flowers.
Note
8
nounobsoletecountable or uncountable
Light exercise that makes you breathe a little faster.
an after dinner's breath
c. 1603, William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”Here, breath means light exercise that makes you breathe a little faster.
Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of breath apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Old English brǣþ, meaning smell, vapor, or breath.