breathing

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   verbal noun of breathe: (uncountable) The act of respiration; (countable) a single instance of this.

   […] their breathings, cryings, and excretings would have been damaged […]

2. 2
   noun

   Time to recover one's breath; hence, a delay, a spell of time.

   DON PEDRO. Count Claudio, when mean you to go to church? / CLAUDIO. To-morrow, my lord. Time goes on crutches till love have all his rites. / LEONATO. Not till Monday, my dear son, which is hence a just seven-night; and a time too brief too, to have all things answer my mind. / DON PEDRO. Come, you shake the head at so long a breathing; but, I warrant thee, Claudio, the time shall not go dully by us.

3. 3
   noun

   Any gentle influence or operation; inspiration.

   the breathings of the Holy Spirit

4. 4
   noun

   Aspiration; secret prayer.

   Let us then begin Heaven here, in the Frame and Temper of our Minds, in our heavenly Affections and Converſation; in a due Prepation for, and in earneſt Deſires and Breathings after that bleſſed State vvhich vve firmly believe and aſſuredly hope to be one day poſſeſſed of: […]

5. 5
   adj

   Having life; living; alive.

   Elantris is quite an exceptional read, a wonderfully rich world of living breathing characters, great plot, and some very original ideas.

6. 6
   adj

   passing or able to pass air in and out of the lungs normally

7. 7
   noun

   the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation

8. 8
   noun

   A diacritical mark indicating aspiration or lack thereof.

Etymology

From breathe + -ing.