Respiration

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹɛspɪˈɹeɪʃən/

Definitions

1. The biological process that includes the intake of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide is crucial for survival
2. The process by which organisms take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide to sustain life
3. A vital function in living creatures involving the absorption of oxygen and elimination of carbon dioxide

Etymology: Latin "respīrātiō" was built from "respīrāre," meaning "to breathe out" or "to breathe again." The prefix "re-" means "back" or "again," and "spīrāre" means "to breathe," the same root behind "spirit," which originally meant breath. So at its core, the word describes breath returning, which fits the original Latin sense of drawing air in and pushing it back out. English borrowed the word through Middle English "respiracioun" from that Latin noun. Its earliest use in English was largely in the sense of breathing, and the term later broadened into the technical biological meaning given today. Note that the word was not used for the chemical exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide until much later, when that process was understood.

Synonyms: breathing, inhale, exhale, ventilation, oxygenation

Antonyms: asphyxiation, suffocation