Breath"ing (?), n.
1.
Respiration; the act of inhaling and exhaling air.
Subject to a difficulty of breathing.
Melmoth.
2.
Air in gentle motion.
3.
Any gentle influence or operation; inspiration; as, the breathings of the Spirit.
4.
Aspiration; secret prayer.
"Earnest desires and
breathings after that blessed state."
Tillotson.
5.
Exercising; promotion of respiration.
Here is a lady that wants breathing too;
And I have heard, you knights of Tyre
Are excellent in making ladies trip.
Shak.
6.
Utterance; communication or publicity by words.
I am sorry to give breathing to my purpose.
Shak.
7.
Breathing place; vent.
Dryden.
8.
Stop; pause; delay.
You shake the head at so long a breathing.
Shak.
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.
10. Gr. Gram.
A mark to indicate aspiration or its absence. See Rough breathing, Smooth breathing, below.
Breathing place. (a) A pause. "That caesura, 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) (). See 2d Asper, n. -- Smooth breathing (spiritus lenis), a mark (') indicating the absence of the sound of h, as in 'ie`nai (ienai).
© Webster 1913.