Breathe \Breathe\, v. t.
1. To inhale and exhale in the process of respiration; to
respire.
To view the light of heaven, and breathe the vital
air. --Dryden.
2. To inject by breathing; to infuse; -- with into.
Able to breathe life into a stone. --Shak.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of
life. --Gen. ii. 7.
3. To emit or utter by the breath; to utter softly; to
whisper; as, to breathe a vow.
He softly breathed thy name. --Dryden.
Or let the church, our mother, breathe her curse, A
mother's curse, on her revolting son. --Shak.
4. To exhale; to emit, as breath; as, the flowers breathe
odors or perfumes.
5. To express; to manifest; to give forth.
Others articles breathe the same severe spirit.
--Milner.
6. To act upon by the breath; to cause to sound by breathing.
``They breathe the flute.'' --Prior.
7. To promote free respiration in; to exercise.
And every man should beat thee. I think thou wast
created for men to breathe themselves upon thee.
--Shak.
8. To suffer to take breath, or recover the natural
breathing; to rest; as, to breathe a horse.
A moment breathed his panting steed. --Sir W.
Scott.
9. To put out of breath; to exhaust.
Mr. Tulkinghorn arrives in his turret room, a little
breathed by the journey up. --Dickens.
10. (Phonetics) To utter without vocality, as the nonvocal
consonants.
The same sound may be pronounces either breathed,
voiced, or whispered. --H. Sweet.
Breathed elements, being already voiceless, remain
unchanged
Note: [in whispering]. --H. Sweet.
To breathe again, to take breath; to feel a sense of
relief, as from danger, responsibility, or press of
business.
To breathe one's last, to die; to expire.
To breathe a vein, to open a vein; to let blood. --Dryden.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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