Breathing \Breath"ing\, n.
1. Respiration; the act of inhaling and exhaling air.
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Subject to a difficulty of breathing. --Melmoth.
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2. Air in gentle motion.
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3. Any gentle influence or operation; inspiration; as, the
breathings of the Spirit.
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4. Aspiration; secret prayer. "Earnest desires and breathings
after that blessed state." --Tillotson.
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5. Exercising; promotion of respiration.
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Here is a lady that wants breathing too;
And I have heard, you knights of Tyre
Are excellent in making ladies trip. --Shak.
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6. Utterance; communication or publicity by words.
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I am sorry to give breathing to my purpose. --Shak.
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7. Breathing place; vent. --Dryden.
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8. Stop; pause; delay.
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You shake the head at so long a breathing. --Shak.
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9. Also, in a wider sense, the sound caused by the friction
of the outgoing breath in the throat, mouth, etc., when
the glottis is wide open; aspiration; the sound expressed
by the letter h.
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10. (Gr. Gram.) A mark to indicate aspiration or its absence.
See Rough breathing, Smooth breathing, below.
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Breathing place.
(a) A pause. "That c[ae]sura, or breathing place, in the
midst of the verse." --Sir P. Sidney.
(b) A vent.
Breathing time, pause; relaxation. --Bp. Hall.
Breathing while, time sufficient for drawing breath; a
short time. --Shak.
Rough breathing (spiritus asper) ([spasp]). See 2d
Asper, n.
Smooth breathing (spiritus lenis), a mark (') indicating
the absence of the sound of h, as in 'ie`nai (ienai).
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