BREATH
ADJECTIVES
► ANHELANT characterized by shortness of breath or laboured breathing → 1657 obs.
► ANHELED short of breath; breathing with difficulty → 1656 obs.
► ANHELOSE characterized by shortness of breath or laboured breathing → 1661
► ANHELOUS characterized by shortness of breath or laboured breathing → 1617
► BELLOWS TO MEND out of breath, exhausted → 1881 Eng. dial.
► BELLOWSED out of breath, exhausted → 1898 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► BLOWN out of breath → 1674
► BREATHED out of breath; exhausted → 1599 obs.
► BREATH-TAINTED having tainted or foul breath → 1644 obs.
► BROKEN-WINDED out of breath; experiencing breathing difficulties → 1584
► LONG-BREATHED capable of continuing in action for a long time without becoming short of breath → 1513
► LUNG-CRACKED of breath: issuing from exhausted lungs → 1636 obs.
► OUTBREATHED out of breath, exhausted → 1600 obs.
► OVERBREATHED out of breath, breathless → 1778 literary usage, obs.
► PUFFED out of breath; exhausted → 1813
► PUMPED-OUT out of breath or exhausted with exertion → 1854 colloq.
► PURSY short of breath, wheezy → 1440 chiefly Eng. dial.
► SCANT-OF-WIND causing shortness of breath → 1823 chiefly arch. or literary usage
► SHORT-BREATHED short of breath; having difficulty breathing → 1470
► SHORT-ENDED out of breath or quickly becoming so; short-winded → 1595 Sc. obs.
► SHORT-WINDED short of breath; having difficulty breathing → 1500
► STRAIT-WINDED short of breath → 1601 obs.
► STRONG-BREATHED having unpleasant-smelling breath → 1575
► STUFF to become out of breath → 1488 Sc.
► WELL-AIRED having sweet breath → 1505 obs.
► WIND-BUSTED short of breath → 1892 Amer. dial.
► WINDLESS out of breath, breathless → 1400
NOUNS
► AIR breath → 1567 obs.
► ANHELATION shortness of breath; laboured breathing → 1548
► ASHTRAY BREATH foul-smelling breath caused by smoking → 1931
► BLAST a breath; a puff or blowing of air through the mouth or nostrils → 1325 obs.
► BLEAD blowing, breath, inspiration → 1000 obs.
► BLOW breath → 1898 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► BLURT an eruptive emission of breath from the mouth, esp. as expressive of contempt → 1579 obs.
► CAW a gasping, laboured breath → 1765 Sc. & Eng. dial.
► DEATH-SOUGH a person’s deep dying breath → 1820 Sc. or literary usage
► DOG BREATH bad-smelling breath → 1944 US sl.
► DRAUGHT drawing of breath → 1490 obs.
► DRAW an intake of breath, inhalation → 1867
► DUKE BREATH bad breath → 1993 US sl.
► EFFLATION strong expulsion of breath, blowing out → 1578
► ENTER-BREATH a breath taken between words or actions → 1621 obs.
► ETHEM breath, vapour → 1000 obs.
► FAFF a breath of air, smoke, etc. → 1900 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► FETCH an indrawn breath, a sigh → 1832 Eng. dial.
► FNAST breath → 1000 obs.
► FUMOSITY ill-smelling breath; smell of food or drink in the breath → 1530 obs.
► HALITOSIS foul breath → 1874
► HAND breath → 1340 obs.
► INBREATH a drawing in of the breath → 1921
► INCATCH a sudden drawing in or catching of the breath → 1895
► INTAKE a drawing in of the breath → 1899 Sc.
► INTERSPIRATION a taking breath between; a breathing space, a rest → 1623 obs.
► JUNGLE MOUTH bad breath → 1970 US students’ sl.
► LIFE (AND DEATH) breath, esp. bad breath → 1992 UK rhyming sl.
► NELLIE (DUFF) ► NELLY (DUFF) one’s breath → 1963 rhyming sl. for ‘puff’
► ONDE breath → 1300 obs.
► ORTH breath, breathing → 1000 obs.
► PECH a long, gasping, or laboured breath → 1513 Sc. & Eng. dial.
► POOF a short, sharp puff of breath, air, etc. → 1864
► PUFF breath, ‘wind’ → 1827 sl. & Eng. dial.
► QUIFF a breath; a whiff → 1889 Eng. dial.
► QUIRK a deep breath drawn when in pain → 1847 Eng. dial.
► RESPIRE a respiration, a breath → 1657 obs.
► SOUGH a deep breath or sigh → 1386
► SPIRATION a breathing or drawing breath → 1568 obs.
► SUSPIRATION deep breathing; breath; a breath, a deep breath → 1604
► THE HEAVES shortness of breath → 1793 Amer. dial.
NOUNS – PERSON
► DOG BREATH a person having offensive breath; used as a contemptuous term of address → 1944 US
sl.
PHRASES
► ALSATIAN’S ARSEHOLE what people with bad breath are said to have a mouth like → 20C Brit. sl.
► LIKE A CABBIE’S ARMPIT ► LIKE A CAB DRIVER’S ARMPIT said of a mouth that is less than fresh → 20C Brit. sl.
► MOUTH LIKE A CAMEL-DRIVER’S CRUTCH bad breath; dry mouth, especially following a night of heavy drinking and smoking → 1999 Aust. sl. (Bk.)
► MOUTH LIKE THE BOTTOM OF A COCKY’S CAGE bad breath; dry mouth, especially following a night of heavy drinking and smoking → 1999 Aust. sl. (Bk.)
VERBS
► ABLOW to catch one’s breath → 1450
► ABREATHE to give time to recover breath → 1450 obs.
– to cause to become out of breath; to wind → 1500 obs.
► BLAKE to become out of breath, to faint; esp. of children exhausted with crying, coughing, or laughing → 1867 Eng. dial.
► BLATTER to flutter, to flicker; said of breath → 1911 Sc. (Bk.)
► BLOW ENOUGH TO TURN A MILL to be out of breath → 1905 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► CATCH THE AIR to struggle for breath → 1616 obs.
► CAW to gasp for breath; to breath with difficulty → 1671 obs. exc. Eng. dial.
► EXANIMATE to knock the breath out of → 1878 humorous usage
► EXPLODE to exhale → 1660
► FETCH to draw or take breath → 1552
► FLUFF to knock out of breath; to cause to pant → 1790 Sc.
► FUFF of a person out of breath: to puff → 1513 Sc. & Eng. dial.
► HEAVE to draw in the breath with effort; to pant, to gasp → 1679
► INBREATHE to draw in as breath; to inhale → 1889
► INSPIRE to draw in the breath → 1661
► INTERSPIRE to take breath between; to pause, to take rest → 1647 obs.
► OUTBREATHE to exhale; to come out as breath or steam → 1638
► OUTWIND to cause to become out of breath → 1708
► OVERBREATHE to put out of breath → 1586 obs.
► PALL to render the breath inoffensive → 1547 obs.
► PECH to become short of breath; to breath with difficulty → 1538 Sc. & Eng. dial.
► PLAY PEW to draw breath; to be alive → 1728 Sc. & Eng. dial.
► POOF to emit a short sharp puff of breath, air, etc. → 1915
► RESPIRE to draw breath; to live → 1619 obs.
► SOUGH to draw the breath heavily or noisily; to sigh deeply → 1475
► WHOOF to expel breath loudly through the mouth or nostrils → 1863
► WHUFF to make a sound as of a forcible blast of breath → 1896
Lexicophilia 