/ breθ; NAmE / noun
1.
[ U ] the air that you take into your lungs and send out again :
His breath smelt of garlic.
bad breath (= that smells bad)
We had to stop for breath before we got to the top.
She was very short of breath (= had difficulty breathing) .
2.
[ C ] an amount of air that enters the lungs at one time :
to take a deep breath
He recited the whole poem in one breath.
3.
breath of sth [ sing. ] ( formal ) a small amount of sth; slight evidence of sth :
a breath of suspicion / scandal
4.
a ~ of air, wind [ sing. ] ( literary ) a slight movement of air
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IDIOMS
- a breath of (fresh) air
- a breath of fresh air
- the breath of life to / for sb
- get your breath (again / back)
- hold your breath
- in the same breath
- his / her last / dying breath
- out of breath
- say sth, speak, etc. under your breath
- take sb's breath away
—more at bated , catch verb , draw verb , save verb , waste verb
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English brǣth smell, scent , of Germanic origin; related to brood .