breath

/breT/ noun

1 AIR YOU BREATHE

a) (U) the air that you take in and out of your lungs when you breathe: Paul smelt the cigarette smoke on her breath. | bad breath (=breath that smells unpleasant)

b) the process of breathing in and out: Her breath was coming more easily now.

c) (uncountable, singular) the air in your lungs or the act of breathing it in: Let your breath out slowly. | take a (big/deep) breath (=breathe in once): Shaun took a deep breath and dived in. | be out of breath (=have difficulty breathing because you have just been running, climbing stairs etc) | get your breath back (=breathe normally again after running or making a lot of effort): At the top of the stairs she stopped to get her breath back. | short of breath (=unable to breath easily, especially because you are unhealthy)

2 a breath of fresh air

a) something that is new and different in a way you find exciting and enjoyable: Osborne's play brought a breath of fresh air to the British theatre.

b) take a breath of fresh air to go outside because it is unpleasantly hot where you are

3 hold your breath

a) to breathe in and close your mouth to keep the air in your lungs: I just held my breath and prayed I wouldn't sneeze.

b) to wait anxiously to see what is going to happen: We held our breath while Mr Evans read the exam results.

4 take your breath away to be so beautiful or exciting that you feel as if you nearly stop breathing: a view that takes your breath away

5 under your breath in a quiet voice so that no-one can hear you: "Son of a bitch," he muttered under his breath.

6 in the same breath

a) used to say that someone has said two things at once that are so different from each other they cannot both be true: They said that women should have equal pay, and added in the same breath that men need more money.

b) if you mention two people or things in the same breath, you show that you think they are alike: a player who has been mentioned in the same breath as Pete Sampras

7 with your last/dying breath at the moment when you are dying: With his last breath he cursed his captors.

8 a breath of air/wind literary a slight movement of air: Scarcely a breath of air disturbed the stillness of the day.

9 be the breath of life to sb to be the most important thing in someone's life

-see also: with bated breath bated, catch your breath catch 1 (23), draw a breath draw 1 (23), gasp for breath gasp 1 (2), save your breath save 1 (15), waste your breath waste 2 (2)