(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
Your ~ is the air that you let out through your mouth when you ~e. If someone has bad ~, their ~ smells unpleasant.
I could smell the whisky on his ~...
Smoking causes bad ~.
N-VAR: oft poss N
2.
When you take a ~, you ~e in once.
He took a deep ~, and began to climb the stairs...
Gasping for ~, she leaned against the door...
He spoke for one and a half hours and barely paused for ~.
N-VAR
3.
If you go outside for a ~ of fresh air or for a ~ of air, you go outside because it is unpleasantly warm indoors.
PHRASE: ~ inflects
4.
If you describe something new or different as a ~ 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 ~ of fresh air.
PHRASE: usu v-link PHR approval
5.
When you get your ~ back after doing something energetic, you start ~ing normally again. (BRIT)
I reached out a hand to steady myself against the house while I got my ~ back.
PHRASE: V inflects
6.
When you catch your ~ while you are doing something energetic, you stop for a short time so that you can start ~ing normally again.
He had stopped to catch his ~ and make sure of his directions.
PHRASE: V and N inflect
7.
If something makes you catch your ~, it makes you take a short ~ of air, usually because it shocks you.
Kenny caught his ~ as Nikko nearly dropped the bottle.
= gasp
PHRASE: V inflects
8.
If you hold your ~, you make yourself stop ~ing for a few moments, for example because you are under water.
I held my ~ and sank under the water.
PHRASE: V and N inflect
9.
If you say that someone is holding their ~, you mean that they are waiting anxiously or excitedly for something to happen. (WRITTEN)
The whole world holds its ~ for this speech.
PHRASE: V and N inflect, oft PHR for n
10.
If you are out of ~, you are ~ing very quickly and with difficulty because you have been doing something energetic.
There she was, slightly out of ~ from running.
PHRASE: v-link PHR
11.
You can use in the same ~ or in the next ~ 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 ~ expressed suspicion about the motivations of the United States.
PHRASE: PHR cl disapproval
12.
If you are short of ~, you find it difficult to ~e properly, for example because you are ill. You can also say that someone suffers from shortness of ~.
She felt short of ~ and flushed...
Any exercise that causes undue shortness of ~ should be stopped.
PHRASE: usu v-link PHR
13.
If you say that something takes your ~ away, you are emphasizing that it is extremely beautiful or surprising.
I heard this song on the radio and it just took my ~ away.
= astound
PHRASE: V inflects emphasis
14.
If you say something under your ~, 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 ~.
PHRASE: PHR after v
15.
with bated ~: see bated