Respiracioun

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of drawing air into the lungs and expelling it, or a pause that gives relief from hardship ; a moment of rest or comfort granted after suffering
2. Breathing in and out as the body takes in oxygen, or an interval of reprieve that eases a burden ; a temporary release from trouble or pain
3. The bodily act of inhaling and exhaling air ; a period of ease or delay that offers comfort from a harsh trial

Etymology: Middle English "respiracioun" entered English through Old French "respiration" from Latin "respiratio," a noun from "respirare," meaning "to breathe out" or "to breathe again." The Latin verb is built from "re-," meaning "back" or "again," and "spirare," meaning "to breathe" or "to blow," which also gives English "spirit" and "inspire." The word's second sense, a pause or respite from hardship, grew from the old idea of catching one's breath. A person who gets a moment to breathe after a struggle gets relief, so the physical act came to stand for any interval of ease. English writers used the word in both senses, and the breathing sense has remained the more common of the two.