breath

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled breff

US /bɹeθ/ UK /bɹɛθ/ See IPA manual

Freq #1482

Meanings

1

noun
The air that you take into your lungs and let out again.

I took a deep breath and dived into the pool.
2

noun
A single act of breathing in or out.

She paused to catch her breath after running up the stairs.
3

noun
The air sent out from the mouth, especially as something you can smell.

His breath smelled strongly of coffee.
4

noun
A very slight movement of air.

There wasn't a breath of wind on that hot afternoon.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms breaths

Derived forms arsebreathass-breathassbreathbeanbreathbreath-catchingbreath-catchinglybreath-holdingbreathalyzerbreatharianbreatherbreathfulbreathhold

Related forms breathe breather

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

last breath
the final breath a person takes before dying

Adjective + noun

Idioms (2)

See all

Etymology

From Middle English breeth, breth, from Old English brǣþ (“odor, scent, stink, exhalation, vapor”), from Proto-West Germanic *brāþi (“vapour, waft, exhalation, breath”) (compare German Brodem (“haze, vapor; breath”), of a different but related formation).

*bʰreh₁- Proto-Indo-European breeth Middle English brǣþ Old English *brāþi Proto-West Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# breath

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /bɹeθ/
**IPA (UK):** /bɹɛθ/
**Frequency rank:** 1482

## Meanings
1. The air that you take into your lungs and let out again.
2. A single act of breathing in or out.
3. The air sent out from the mouth, especially as something you can smell.
4. A very slight movement of air.

## Examples
- I took a deep breath and dived into the pool.
- She paused to catch her breath after running up the stairs.
- His breath smelled strongly of coffee.
- There wasn't a breath of wind on that hot afternoon.

## Derived Forms
- arsebreath
- ass-breath
- assbreath
- beanbreath
- breath-catching
- breath-catchingly
- breath-holding
- breathalyzer
- breatharian
- breather
- breathful
- breathhold

## Related Forms
- breathe
- breather

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *bʰreh₁-
- Root: breeth
- Root: brǣþ
- Root: *brāþi

## Etymology
From Middle English breeth, breth, from Old English brǣþ (“odor, scent, stink, exhalation, vapor”), from Proto-West Germanic *brāþi (“vapour, waft, exhalation, breath”) (compare German Brodem (“haze, vapor; breath”), of a different but related formation).

## AI Etymology
Breath comes from Middle English breeth, breth, from Old English brǣþ (“odor, scent, stink, exhalation, vapor”), from Proto-West Germanic *brāþi (“vapour, waft, exhalation, breath”) (compare German Brodem (“haze, vapor; breath”), of a different but related formation).

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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