the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
"he took a deep breath and dived into the pool"
"he was fighting to his last breath"
a short respite
"After hours of intense hiking, stopping by the river provided a welcome breath before continuing the climb."
The act or process of breathing.
"The doctor held his breath while examining my chest to see if I was taking regular breaths on my own."
In plain English: A breath is the air you take into your lungs and then let out again.
"She held her breath while waiting for the results."
Usage: Use "breath" to refer to a single instance of air taken into or expelled from the lungs, such as holding your breath or taking a deep breath. Do not use it for the general process of breathing, which is correctly described by the noun "breathing."
Misspelling of breathe.
"The teacher corrected his essay, noting that he had typed "breath" when he clearly meant to write "breathe.""
In plain English: To breathe is to pull air into your lungs and push it back out so you can live.
"She held her breath until the balloon popped."
Usage: Do not use "breath" as a verb; it is a common misspelling of "breathe." Use the correct spelling only when describing the action of inhaling or exhaling air.
voiceless, surd; contrasting with voice (breath sounds, voice sounds)
"The nurse listened to the patient's chest and heard a loud breath sound rather than any vocalization."
"The breath view from the top of the mountain was absolutely breathtaking."
Usage: The word breath is not used as an adjective in standard English; it is exclusively a noun referring to air inhaled or exhaled or the act of breathing. When describing something related to the quality of sound produced by air without vocal cord vibration, use the adjective breathy instead.
The word "breath" comes from Old English brǣþ, which originally meant odor, scent, or vapor. It traveled into modern English through Middle English while retaining its connection to the idea of exhalation.