|
|
breath·ing (br   ng)n.1. a. The act or process of respiration. b. A single breath. 2. The time required to take one's breath. 3. a. Either of two marks, the rough breathing (  ) and the smooth breathing (  ), used in Greek to indicate presence or absence of aspiration. b. The presence or absence of aspiration indicated by either of these marks. |
breathing [ˈbriːðɪŋ]n1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Physiology) the passage of air into and out of the lungs to supply the body with oxygen 2. a single breath a breathing between words 3. an utterance a breathing of hate 4. a soft movement, esp of air 5. a rest or pause 6. (Linguistics / Phonetics & Phonology) Phoneticsa. expulsion of breath (rough breathing) or absence of such expulsion (smooth breathing) preceding the pronunciation of an initial vowel or rho in ancient Greek b. either of two symbols indicating this breath•ing (ˈbri ðɪŋ) n. 1. the act of respiration. 2. a single breath, or the short time required for this. 3. a pause, as for breath. 4. utterance or words. 5. a gentle stirring, as of wind. 6. a. the manner of articulating the beginning of a word in ancient Greek, with or without aspiration. b. one of the two symbols used to indicate this. [1350–1400] breath′ing•ly, adv. Breathing - Alimentary canal … working like a derrick without a soul —Tess Slesinger
- Breath … as black as funerals —Miles Gibson
See Also: BLACK - (His) breath came heavily, like puffs of wind over a stormy sea —Walter De La Mare
- Breath came like puffs from a steam locomotive —Gerald Tomlinson
- Breath clear and sweet like a child’s —Flannery O’Connor
- Breathed as if she had a fever —Mark Helprin
- Breathed deeply like a swimmer coming up for air —George Garrett
- (He) breathed like a prisoner set free —Willa Cather
- Breathe hard like a horse when you take the saddle off —O. Henry
- Breathe like a chugging train —Tony Ardizzone
- Breathe like a second-hand bicycle pump —O. Henry
- Breath [from snoring] grating like bark stripped from a tree —T. Coraghessan Boyle
- Breathing as rapidly as an exhausted dog —Derek Lambert
- Breathing as softly as a butterfly —Ellen Glasgow
- Breathing as though stream engines were working his lungs —Pat Conroy
- Breathing like a hard-run horse —James Crumley
- Breathing like almost any sort of man who has just been chased for a mile or so uphill by a bull in the pink of condition —Kingsley Amis
- Breathing like an escape valve —Joseph C. Lincoln
- Breathing like a tire pump —Dashiell Hammett
- Breathing like the friction of rusted gears —T. Coraghessan Boyle
- Breathing like two hippos with a chest cold —Jane Wagner
This line, spoken by the character Paul (interpreted by Lily Tomlin), describes his participation at his wife’s labor. - Breathing, quick and hoarse like a dog’s panting —Albert Camus
- Breathing … slow and rhythmical, like the bellows at a forge rising and falling —Henri-Pierre Roche
- Breathing [an overweight man’s] sounded like someone sitting down on a leather couch —Sue Grafton
- Breathing with irregularity, like an overworked horse. Breathing deeply like a man asleep —George Garrett
- Breath is like the gentle air of spring —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Breath … like the steam of apple-pies —Robert Greene
- Breath popping like steam valves in old boilers —Denis Johnson
- (Rankin’s) breath rushed out like an undertow beneath the words —Richard Moran
- Breath sweet as May —Christina Rossetti
- The breath was pumped from their bodies as though from machines —Vicki Baum
- Breath [of dying woman] whistled like the wind in a keyhole —Edith Wharton
- Each breath was expelled in a puff, as if one were blowing a trumpet, Dizzy Gillespie fashion —Stephen King
- Each breath was like a hill to climb —Barbara Reid
- Gasped for breath like a wounded animal —Vicki Baum
- Gasped the air deeply, like a diver escaping from a watery grave —Jan Kubicki
- Gasping like a fish stranded on a sandbank —F. van Wyck Mason
An extension of “Gasped like a stranded fish.” - Gulped in air through her mouth, straining like a nearly drowned man dragged out of the water —William Moseley
- Gulping in air like a swimmer exhausted from fighting a heavy surf —Margaret Millar
- Hack and wheeze like an overworked horse —T. Coraghessan Boyle
- Her breath seems to flow like the water in a frozen stream —Rochelle Ratner
- His breath [as he kissed her hand] was between her fingers like a web on summer grass —Ellen Gilchrist
- His breath was staccato, like obstructed sobs —Nancy Huddleston Packer
- Holds her breath like a seal —John Berryman
- Huff like windy giants —W. D. Snodgrass
- Let out a long, whistling breath like a deflating tire —Cornell Woolrich
- Lungs..blowing like leathern bellows —Frank Ross
- (Steam’s) lungs fluttered like a sparrow’s heartbeat —Z. Vance Wilson
- (I was panting and) my breath came like fire —Louise Erdrich
- Pant like a fat man running for a bus —Lawrence Durrell
- Panting like a steamboat —Joyce Cary
- Puffed like a leaky steam pipe —O. Henry
- Puffing like a blown shire horse —Donald Seaman
- A rasping gasp as though he were swallowing his false teeth —W. P. Kinsella
- Sharp intake of breath, like a toy balloon suddenly deflated —Ralph Ellison
- Snort [while asleep] like a timid locomotive —MacDonald Harris
- Sound of breathing … like the soft crackle of tissue paper —Frank Swinnerton
- Sucked air like a drowning fish —Miles Gibson
- Took as much breath as if I’d heaved a shot put —Larry McMurtry
- Wheezing … like a horse with a progressive lung disease —T. Coraghessan Boyle
Thesaurus Legend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | breathing - the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalationabdominal breathing - breathing in which most of the respiratory effort is done by the abdominal muscles; "abdominal breathing is practiced by singers" hyperpnea - energetic (deep and rapid) respiration that occurs normally after exercise or abnormally with fever or various disorders 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 smoking, smoke - the act of smoking tobacco or other substances; "he went outside for a smoke"; "smoking stinks" sniffle, snuffle, snivel - 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 | | Adj. | 1. | breathing - passing or able to pass air in and out of the lungs normally; sometimes used in combination; "the boy was disappointed to find only skeletons instead of living breathing dinosaurs"; "the heavy-breathing person on the telephone"breathless, dyspneal, dyspneic, dyspnoeal, dyspnoeic - not breathing or able to breathe except with difficulty; "breathless at thought of what I had done"; "breathless from running"; "followed the match with breathless interest" |
Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|