[syn: hint, intimation, breath]
5. a slight movement of the air;
- Example: "there wasn't a breath of air in the room"
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Breath \Breath\ (br[e^]th), n. [OE. breth, breeth, AS.
br[=ae][eth] odor, scent, breath; cf. OHG. br[=a]dam steam,
vapor, breath, G. brodem, and possibly E. Brawn, and
Breed.]
1. The air inhaled and exhaled in respiration; air which, in
the process of respiration, has parted with oxygen and has
received carbonic acid, aqueous vapor, warmth, etc.
[1913 Webster]
Melted as breath into the wind. --Shak.
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2. The act of breathing naturally or freely; the power or
capacity to breathe freely; as, I am out of breath.
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3. The power of respiration, and hence, life. --Hood.
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Thou takest away their breath, they die. --Ps. civ.
29.
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4. Time to breathe; respite; pause.
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Give me some breath, some little pause. --Shak.
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5. A single respiration, or the time of making it; a single
act; an instant.
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He smiles and he frowns in a breath. --Dryden.
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6. Fig.: That which gives or strengthens life.
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The earthquake voice of victory,
To thee the breath of life. --Byron.
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7. A single word; the slightest effort; a trifle.
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A breath can make them, as a breath has made.
--Goldsmith.
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8. A very slight breeze; air in gentle motion.
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Calm and unruffled as a summer's sea,
when not a breath of wind flies o'er its surface.
--Addison.
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9. Fragrance; exhalation; odor; perfume. --Tennison.
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The breath of flowers. --Bacon.
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10. Gentle exercise, causing a quicker respiration.
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An after dinner's breath. --Shak.
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Out of breath, breathless, exhausted; breathing with
difficulty.
Under one's breath, in low tones.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
breath
n 1: the process of taking in and expelling air during
breathing; "he took a deep breath and dived into the pool";
"he was fighting to his last breath"
2: the air that is inhaled and exhaled in respiration; "his sour
breath offended her"
3: a short respite [syn: breath, breather, breathing
place, breathing space, breathing spell, breathing
time]
4: an indirect suggestion; "not a breath of scandal ever touched
her" [syn: hint, intimation, breath]
5: a slight movement of the air; "there wasn't a breath of air
in the room"
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
279 Moby Thesaurus words for "breath":
Aqua-Lung, a breath, afterdamp, amaze, anima, anima humana,
animating force, aroma, artificial respiration, aspiration,
asthmatic wheeze, astonish, astound, atman, ba, bated breath,
bathmism, beating heart, biological clock, biorhythm, bit,
blackdamp, blood, blow, break, breath of air, breath of life,
breather, breathing, breathing place, breathing space,
breathing spell, breathing time, breathy voice, breeze,
broken wind, brush, buddhi, capful of wind, caress, chokedamp,
cigarette break, cloud, cocktail hour, coffee break, contact,
cough, coup, crack, cutaneous sense, damp, dash, dazzle,
definite odor, detectable odor, divine breath, divine spark,
downtime, effluvium, ego, elan vital, emanation, enforced respite,
essence, essence of life, exhalation, expiration, exsufflation,
feel, feeling, fetid air, fingertip caress, firedamp, flash,
flatus, flavor, flick, fluid, force of life, fragrance, fume, gasp,
glance, graze, growth force, gulp, gust, hack, half a jiffy,
half a mo, half a second, half a shake, halt, hand-mindedness,
happy hour, heart, heartbeat, heartblood, hiccup, hint,
impulse of life, indication, inhalation, inhalator, inner man,
inspiration, inspiriting force, instant, insufflation, interlude,
intermission, iron lung, jiff, jiffy, jiva, jivatma, khu, kiss,
lambency, lap, letup, lick, life breath, life cycle, life essence,
life force, life principle, life process, lifeblood, light touch,
little, little bit, little voice, little while, living force,
low voice, lull, malaria, manes, mephitis, miasma, microsecond,
millisecond, mind, minute, moment, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation,
mumble, mumbling, murmur, murmuration, murmuring, mutter,
muttering, nephesh, no time, odor, oxygen mask, oxygen tent,
pair of winks, pant, pause, pneuma, prana, psyche, puff,
puff of air, puff of smoke, puff of wind, purusha, recess,
redolence, reek, respiration, respite, rest, ruach, rub, savor,
scent, scuba, seat of life, sec, second, sense of touch, shade,
shadow, shake, shock, short spell, short time, sigh, small space,
smell, smoke, smudge, sneeze, sniff, sniffle, snore, snoring,
snuff, snuffle, soft voice, soul, soupcon, span, spark of life,
spell, spirit, spiritual being, spiritus, split second, spoor,
spurt, stage whisper, stagger, startle, stay, steam, stench,
sternutation, stertor, still small voice, stir, stir of air,
stirring, streak, stroke, subtle odor, suggestion, surcease,
surprise, suspension, suspicion, suspiration, susurration,
susurrus, tactile sense, taction, tap, tea break, ten,
tentative poke, the self, tick, time out, touch, trace, trail,
trice, twink, twinkle, twinkling, twitch, two shakes, underbreath,
undertone, vapor, vis vitae, vis vitalis, vital energy,
vital flame, vital fluid, vital force, vital principle,
vital spark, vital spirit, volatile, waft, water vapor, wheeze,
whiff, whiffet, whisper, whispering, wind, wink, zephyr
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):
BREATH, med. juris. The air expelled from the chest at each expiration.
2. Breathing, though a usual sign of life, is not conclusive that a
child was wholly born alive, as breathing may take place before the whole
delivery of the mother is complete. 5 Carr. & Payn, 329; S. C. 24 E. C. L.
R. 344. Vide Birth; Life; Infanticide.