transcription, транскрипция: [ breθ ]
( breaths)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
Your breath is the air that you let out through your mouth when you breathe. If someone has bad breath , their breath smells unpleasant.
I could smell the whisky on his breath...
Smoking causes bad breath.
N-VAR : oft poss N
2.
When you take a breath , you breathe in once.
He took a deep breath, and began to climb the stairs...
Gasping for breath, she leaned against the door...
He spoke for one and a half hours and barely paused for breath.
N-VAR
3.
If you go outside for a breath of fresh air or for a breath of air , you go outside because it is unpleasantly warm indoors.
PHRASE : breath inflects
4.
If you describe something new or different as a breath of fresh air , you mean that it makes a situation or subject more interesting or exciting.
Her brisk treatment of an almost taboo subject was a breath of fresh air.
PHRASE : usu v-link PHR [ approval ]
5.
When you get your breath back after doing something energetic, you start breathing normally again. ( BRIT )
I reached out a hand to steady myself against the house while I got my breath back.
PHRASE : V inflects
6.
When you catch your breath while you are doing something energetic, you stop for a short time so that you can start breathing normally again.
He had stopped to catch his breath and make sure of his directions.
PHRASE : V and N inflect
7.
If something makes you catch your breath , it makes you take a short breath of air, usually because it shocks you.
Kenny caught his breath as Nikko nearly dropped the bottle.
= gasp
PHRASE : V inflects
8.
If you hold your breath , you make yourself stop breathing for a few moments, for example because you are under water.
I held my breath and sank under the water.
PHRASE : V and N inflect
9.
If you say that someone is holding their breath , you mean that they are waiting anxiously or excitedly for something to happen. ( WRITTEN )
The whole world holds its breath for this speech.
PHRASE : V and N inflect , oft PHR for n
10.
If you are out of breath , you are breathing very quickly and with difficulty because you have been doing something energetic.
There she was, slightly out of breath from running.
PHRASE : v-link PHR
11.
You can use in the same breath or in the next breath to indicate that someone says two very different or contradictory things, especially when you are criticizing them.
He hailed this week’s arms agreement but in the same breath expressed suspicion about the motivations of the United States.
PHRASE : PHR cl [ disapproval ]
12.
If you are short of breath , you find it difficult to breathe properly, for example because you are ill. You can also say that someone suffers from shortness of breath .
She felt short of breath and flushed...
Any exercise that causes undue shortness of breath should be stopped.
PHRASE : usu v-link PHR
13.
If you say that something takes your breath away , you are emphasizing that it is extremely beautiful or surprising.
I heard this song on the radio and it just took my breath away.
= astound
PHRASE : V inflects [ emphasis ]
14.
If you say something under your breath , you say it in a very quiet voice, often because you do not want other people to hear what you are saying.
Walsh muttered something under his breath.
PHRASE : PHR after v
15.
with bated breath: see bated