Definition of 'respire'
verb
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C14: from Latin rēspīrāre to exhale, from re- + spīrāre to breathe; see spirit1
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Word Frequency
respire in American English
verb intransitiveWord forms: reˈspired or reˈspiring
1.
to breathe or carry on respiration; inhale and exhale air
verb transitive
3.
to breathe or carry on respiration
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
respire in American English
(rɪˈspaiᵊr) (verb -spired, -spiring)
intransitive verb
1.
to inhale and exhale air for the purpose of maintaining life; breathe
2.
to breathe freely again, after anxiety, trouble, etc.
transitive verb
3.
to breathe; inhale and exhale
4.
to exhale
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1375–1425; late ME respiren ‹ L respīrāre, equiv. to re- re- + spīrāre to breathe; see spirit]Examples of 'respire' in a sentence
respire
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