breath
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++breath /breθ/ ●●● S3 W2 noun 1 AAIR YOU BREATHE a) [uncountable]BREATHE the air that you send out of your lungs when you breathe 呼出的气 Leo could smell the wine on her breath. 利奥闻到她呼吸中有葡萄酒的味道。 Let your breath out slowly. 慢慢地呼气。 b) [uncountable]BREATHE air that you take into your lungs 吸入的气 When he reached the top of the stairs, his heart was pounding and he was gasping for breath. 他爬到楼梯顶端时，心怦怦直跳，大口地喘着气。 c) [countable] an amount of air that you take into your lungs 吸气量，一口气 Shaun took a deep breath and dived in. 肖恩深深地吸了口气，然后一头扎入水中。 ► Do not confuse the noun breath /breθ/ with the verb breathe /briːð/: She took a deep breath and continued. | I can’t breathe in here!不要混淆名词 breath /breθ/ 和动词 breathe /briːð/: She took a deep breath and continued. 她吸了一口气，然后继续。 | I can’t breathe in here! 我在这里都没法呼吸！2 a breath of fresh air a) NEWsomething that is new and different in a way you think is exciting and good 一股新的气息，新的活力 Osborne’s play brought a breath of fresh air to the British theatre. 奥斯本的戏剧给英国戏剧带来一股新的气息。 b) COLDclean air outside, that you feel you need after being inside for a long time 新鲜空气 I’m going outside for a breath of fresh air. 我要出去透透气。3 don’t hold your breath informal used to say that something is not going to happen soon 不会很快，有你等的 The system’s due for an update, but don’t hold your breath. 系统应该要更新了，不过有你等的。4 catch your breath (also get your breath back) to start breathing normally again after running or making a lot of effort 喘口气，恢复正常呼吸 Slow down, I need to catch my breath. 慢一点，我要喘口气。5 don’t waste your breath (also save your breath) spoken used to say that someone will not be able to persuade someone else, so there is no point in trying 别浪费口舌 Save your breath. She’s already made up her mind. 别浪费口舌了，她已经打定主意了。 Will he listen to me or will I just be wasting my breath? 他会听我的吗？或者我只是在白费口舌？6 take somebody’s breath away BEAUTIFUL/GOOD-LOOKINGto be extremely beautiful or exciting 令某人惊叹，令某人叫绝 The view from the top will take your breath away. 从山顶眺望，景色美得令人窒息。7 under your breath QUIETin a quiet voice so that no one can hear you 低声地，压低嗓门地 ‘Son of a bitch, ’ he muttered under his breath. “畜生。”他压低声音说。8 in the same breath a) TIME/AT THE SAME TIME (also in the next breath) used to say that someone has said two things at once that are so different from each other they cannot both be true 但紧接着，但同时〔指说自相矛盾的话〕 He criticized the film, then predicted in the same breath that it would be a great success. 他批评这部影片不好，但紧接着又说它会很卖座。 b) LIKE/SIMILARif you mention two people or things in the same breath, you show that you think they are alike or are related 和...一起〔提及，表示认为二者相似或相关联〕 I became nervous when the doctor mentioned my mother’s name and ‘cancer’ in the same breath. 当医生把我母亲的名字和“癌症”联系在一起时，我就变得紧张了。in the same breath as/with a young poet mentioned in the same breath as T.S. Eliot 和T.S.艾略特齐名的一位年轻诗人9 with your last/dying breath DIEat the moment when you are dying 用最后一口气，临终时 With his last breath, he cursed his captors. 他用最后的一口气诅咒绑架他的人。10 [singular] written a very small amount or a sign of something 微量；细微迹象breath of They did everything they could to avoid the slightest breath of scandal. 他们想尽一切办法避免有一丝一毫的丑闻传出。11 a breath of air/wind literaryAIR a slight movement of air 一丝微风 → with bated breath at bated COLLOCATIONSverbstake a breath (=breathe in) 吸一口气Alex took a deep breath, then jumped into the pool. 阿历克斯深深吸了一口气，然后跳入池中。let your breath out (=breathe out) 吐气，呼气Let your breath out slowly and relax. 慢慢吐气，放松。hold your breath (=not breathe out for a few seconds or minutes) 屏住呼吸，憋气How long can you hold your breath underwater? 你在水里能憋气多长时间？be out of breath (=have difficulty breathing after running, hurrying etc) 喘不过气来Andrew hurried in, slightly out of breath. 安德鲁匆匆进来，有点上气不接下气。be short of breath (=be unable to breathe easily because you are ill, old etc) 〔因疾病、年迈等〕呼吸困难nNear the top of the mountain I started to feel short of breath.gasp/fight for breath (=have difficulty breathing) 大口喘气nHe was lying on the floor gasping for breath.nget your breath back (also catch your breath) (=start breathing normally again)He leant against a tree until he had got his breath back.pause for breath 停下来喘口气nShe talked solidly for five minutes, hardly pausing for breath.draw breath written (=breathe) 【书面】吸气nI hid behind the door, hardly daring to draw breath.adjectivesbad breath (=that smells unpleasant) 口臭Smoking gives you bad breath. 吸烟会让你有口臭。a deep/long breath (=in which you breathe a lot of air in slowly) 深深的吸气She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. 她深吸一口气，敲了敲门。a shallow breath (=in which you breathe a small amount of air in) 浅短的吸气nShallow breaths are often a sign of nervousness.phrasesshortness of breath (=when you are unable to breathe easily) 呼吸急促，气短Symptoms include dizziness and shortness of breath. 症状包括眩晕和呼吸急促。an intake of breath (=when you breathe in very quickly and suddenly, especially because you are surprised) 〔尤因吃惊〕倒抽一口气He gave a sharp intake of breath. 他猛地倒吸一口气。nHis first response was a sharp intake of breath.Examples from the Corpus
breath• His teeth were rotten and he had bad breath.• She took a few deep breaths and told herself that she could handle him.• Two minutes and twenty seconds for Shirley, fourteen minutes for Marylin, and for Virginia, a few breaths.• To get rid of garlic breath try strong coffee, cloves, honey, yogurt, or parsley.• A slight popping, as if she had been holding her breath.• Her breath caught as a strange little frisson of excitement slid from her throat to her toes at the thought.• The boy laughed at them for running and being out of breath for nothing.• I could feel the horse's breath on the back of my neck.• Seconds later, the breath once again hissed into her chest, this time with painful intensity.• It was so cold they could see their breath.• She tensed; very softy he blew into her ear, until she quivered as his warm breath passed through her.• How long can you hold your breath underwater?• I can smell alcohol on your breath.Origin breath Old English bræthbreath noun →COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChinese
Corpus your you the of send that air out
breath
breath S3 W2 /breθ/
noun
a. [uncountable] the air that you send out of your lungs when you breathe:
Leo could smell the wine on her breath.
Let your breath out slowly.
b. [uncountable] air that you take into your lungs:
When he reached the top of the stairs, his heart was pounding and he was gasping for breath.
c. [countable] an amount of air that you take into your lungs:
Shaun took a deep breath and dived in.
► Do not confuse the noun breath /breθ/ with the verb breathe /briːð/: She took a breath and continued. | I can’t breathe in here__
2. a breath of fresh air
a. something that is new and different in a way you think is exciting and good:
Osborne’s play brought a breath of fresh air to the British theatre.
b. clean air outside, that you feel you need after being inside for a long time:
I’m going outside for a breath of fresh air.
3. don’t hold your breath informal used to say that something is not going to happen soon:
The system’s due for an update, but don’t hold your breath.
4. catch your breath (also get your breath back) to start breathing normally again after running or making a lot of effort:
Slow down, I need to catch my breath.
5. don’t waste your breath (also save your breath) spoken used to say that someone will not be able to persuade someone else, so there is no point in trying:
Save your breath. She’s already made up her mind.
Will he listen to me or will I just be wasting my breath?
6. take sb’s breath away to be extremely beautiful or exciting:
The view from the top will take your breath away.
7. under your breath in a quiet voice so that no one can hear you:
‘Son of a bitch,’ he muttered under his breath.
8. in the same breath
a. (also in the next breath) used to say that someone has said two things at once that are so different from each other they cannot both be true:
He criticized the film, then predicted in the same breath that it would be a great success.
b. if you mention two people or things in the same breath, you show that you think they are alike or are related:
I became nervous when the doctor mentioned my mother’s name and ‘cancer’ in the same breath.
in the same breath as/with
a young poet mentioned in the same breath as T.S. Eliot
9. with your last/dying breath at the moment when you are dying:
With his last breath, he cursed his captors.
10. [singular] written a very small amount or a sign of something
breath of
They did everything they could to avoid the slightest breath of scandal.
11. a breath of air/wind literary a slight movement of air:
Scarcely a breath of air disturbed the stillness of the day.
⇨ with bated breath at bated
■ verbs
▪take a breath (=breathe in) Alex took a deep breath, then jumped into the pool.
▪let your breath out (=breathe out) Let your breath out slowly and relax.
▪hold your breath (=not breathe out for a few seconds or minutes) How long can you hold your breath underwater?
▪be out of breath (=have difficulty breathing after running, hurrying etc) Andrew hurried in, slightly out of breath.
▪be short of breath (=be unable to breathe easily because you are ill, old etc) Near the top of the mountain I started to feel short of breath.
▪gasp/fight for breath (=have difficulty breathing) He was lying on the floor gasping for breath.
▪get your breath back (also catch your breath ) (=start breathing normally again) He leant against a tree until he had got his breath back.
▪pause for breath She talked solidly for five minutes, hardly pausing for breath.
▪draw breath written (=breathe) I hid behind the door, hardly daring to draw breath.
■ adjectives
▪bad breath (=that smells unpleasant) Smoking gives you bad breath.
▪a deep/long breath (=in which you breathe a lot of air in slowly) She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
▪a shallow breath (=in which you breathe a small amount of air in) Shallow breaths are often a sign of nervousness.
■ phrases
▪shortness of breath (=when you are unable to breathe easily) Symptoms include dizziness and shortness of breath.
▪an intake of breath (=when you breathe in very quickly and suddenly, especially because you are surprised) He gave a sharp intake of breath. | His first response was a sharp intake of breath.
breath S3 W2 /breθ/
noun Word Family: noun: breath, breather, breathing; adjective: breathless, breathy; verb: breathe; adverb: breathlessly
Language: Old English
Origin: bræth
1.Origin: bræth
a. [uncountable] the air that you send out of your lungs when you breathe:
b. [uncountable] air that you take into your lungs:
c. [countable] an amount of air that you take into your lungs:
► Do not confuse the noun breath /breθ/ with the verb breathe /briːð/: She took a breath and continued. | I can’t breathe in here__
2. a breath of fresh air
a. something that is new and different in a way you think is exciting and good:
b. clean air outside, that you feel you need after being inside for a long time:
3. don’t hold your breath informal used to say that something is not going to happen soon:
4. catch your breath (also get your breath back) to start breathing normally again after running or making a lot of effort:
5. don’t waste your breath (also save your breath) spoken used to say that someone will not be able to persuade someone else, so there is no point in trying:
6. take sb’s breath away to be extremely beautiful or exciting:
7. under your breath in a quiet voice so that no one can hear you:
8. in the same breath
a. (also in the next breath) used to say that someone has said two things at once that are so different from each other they cannot both be true:
b. if you mention two people or things in the same breath, you show that you think they are alike or are related:
in the same breath as/with
9. with your last/dying breath at the moment when you are dying:
10. [singular] written a very small amount or a sign of something
breath of
11. a breath of air/wind literary a slight movement of air:
⇨ with bated breath at bated
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