Breathe — Defs

01 v. i. To respire; to inhale and exhale air; hence;, to live.

imp. & p. p. Breathed; p. pr. & vb. n. Breathing

1.
To respire; to inhale and exhale air; hence;, to live.
“Breathes there a man with soul so dead Who never to himself hath said, This is my own, my native land!” — Sir W. Scott [The Lay of the Last Minstrel].
2.
To take breath; to rest from action.
“Well! breathe awhile, and then to it again!” — Shak.
3.
To pass like breath; noiselessly or gently; to exhale; to emanate; to blow gently.
“The air breathes upon us here most sweetly.” — Shak.

“There breathes a living fragrance from the shore.” — Byron.

02 v. t. To inhale and exhale in the process of respiration; to respire.

1.
To inhale and exhale in the process of respiration; to respire.
“To view the light of heaven, and breathe the vital air.” — Dryden.
2.
To inject by breathing; to infuse; -- with into.
“Able to breathe life into a stone.” — Shak.

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” — Gen. ii. 7.
3.
To emit or utter by the breath; to utter softly; to whisper; as, to breathe a vow.
“He softly breathed thy name.” — Dryden.

“Or let the church, our mother, breathe her curse, A mother's curse, on her revolting son.” — Shak.
4.
To exhale; to emit, as breath; as, the flowers breathe odors or perfumes.
5.
To express; to manifest; to give forth.
“Others articles breathe the same severe spirit.” — Milner.
6.
To act upon by the breath; to cause to sound by breathing.
7.
To promote free respiration in; to exercise.
“And every man should beat thee. I think thou wast created for men to breathe themselves upon thee.” — Shak.
8.
To suffer to take breath, or recover the natural breathing; to rest; as, to breathe a horse.
“A moment breathed his panting steed.” — Sir W. Scott.
9.
To put out of breath; to exhaust.
“Mr. Tulkinghorn arrives in his turret room, a little breathed by the journey up.” — Dickens.
10.
To utter without vocality, as the nonvocal consonants.(Phonetics)
“The same sound may be pronounces either breathed, voiced, or whispered.” — H. Sweet.

“Breathed elements, being already voiceless, remain unchanged [in whispering].” — H. Sweet.

Phrases & compounds

To breathe again — to take breath; to feel a sense of relief, as from danger, responsibility, or press of business.

To breathe one's last — to die; to expire.

To breathe a vein — to open a vein; to let blood.