# breathing

Pronunciation: say "BREE-thing" US /ˈbɹiðɪŋ/, UK /ˈbɹiːðɪŋ/

## Noun

1. Gerund of breathe. — gerund of breathe: (uncountable) The act of respiration; (countable) a single instance of this.
   - Simple: Gerund of breathe. It names the act of taking air in and out.
   - _The doctor listened to the patient's breathing through a stethoscope._
   - _Slow, even breathing returned once the panic faded._
3. A diacritical mark indicating the presence or absence of aspiration on a sound.
   - Simple: A small mark written above a letter in Greek to show an 'h' sound or its absence.
   - _The editor added a rough breathing over the first vowel of the manuscript._
   - _Copyists sometimes left the breathings off short, common words._
4. Any gentle influence or working upon a person; an inspiring stir of feeling.
   - Simple: A soft, gentle influence that seems to move or inspire someone.
   - _A breathing of inspiration moved the poet to take up her pen again._
   - _There was in his words a gentle breathing that calmed the frightened child._
5. A deep longing or aspiration; a silent, private prayer.
   - Simple: A quiet, deep wish or a silent prayer said in the heart.
   - _In the stillness of the chapel, every breathing rose toward one hope._
   - _Her morning breathing was a wordless longing for her son's return._

## Verb

2. Present participle of breathe. — present participle and gerund of breathe
   - Simple: Present participle of breathe. Use it for breathing that is happening right now.
   - _The swimmers were breathing in rhythm with each stroke._
   - _She lay still, breathing slowly to calm her nerves._

## Noun

6. A pause long enough to recover one's breath; by extension, a delay or short spell of time. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: A short break that gives you time to catch your breath, or any pause.
   - _The weary soldiers were granted a brief breathing before the next march._
   - _She begged a moment's breathing before answering the magistrate._

## Origin

Formed from the verb "breathe" combined with the suffix "-ing."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/breathing (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).