inhale: He took a long slow breath, inhaling deeply.
exhale: Hold your breath for a moment and exhale.
pant: She climbed rapidly until she was panting with the effort.
gasp: She gasped for air and drew in a lungful of water.
breath|er /briː ðə r / (breathers ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you take a breather , you stop what you are doing for a short time and have a rest. [INFORMAL ] □ Relax and take a breather whenever you feel that you need one.
brea th|ing space (breathing spaces ) N‑VAR A breathing space is a short period of time between two activities in which you can recover from the first activity and prepare for the second one. □ Firms need a breathing space if they are to recover.
breath|less /bre θləs/
1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are breathless , you have difficulty in breathing properly, for example because you have been running or because you are afraid or excited. □ I was a little breathless and my heartbeat was bumpy and fast. ● breath|less|ly ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ 'I'll go in,' he said breathlessly. ● breath|less|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Asthma causes wheezing and breathlessness.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] You use breathless for emphasis when you are describing feelings of excitement or exciting situations. [EMPHASIS ] □ Technology has advanced at a breathless pace. □ …the breathless excitement of early 1988, when hundreds and thousands of citizens gathered nightly for political meetings. ● breath|less|ly ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ Nancy waited breathlessly for him to go on.
breath|taking /bre θte I k I ŋ/ also breath-taking ADJ If you say that something is breathtaking , you are emphasizing that it is extremely beautiful or amazing. [EMPHASIS ] □ The house has breathtaking views from every room. □ Some of their football was breathtaking, a delight to watch. ● breath|taking|ly ADV [usu ADV adj, oft ADV after v] □ …the most breathtakingly beautiful scenery in Germany.
brea th test (breath tests ) N‑COUNT A breath test is a test carried out by police in which a driver blows into a special bag or electronic device to show how much alcohol he or she has drunk. □ Police will conduct random breath tests.
breathy /bre θi/ ADJ If someone has a breathy voice, you can hear their breath when they speak or sing. □ Her voice was suddenly breathy.
bred /bre d/
1 Bred is the past tense and past participle of breed .
2 → see also ill-bred , pure-bred , well-bred
breech /briː tʃ/ (breeches /briː tʃ I z/) N‑COUNT The breech of a gun is the part of the barrel at the back into which you load the bullets.
breeches /br I tʃ I z/ N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Breeches are trousers which reach as far as your knees. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ …riding breeches.
breed ◆◇◇ /briː d/ (breeds , breeding , bred )
1 N‑COUNT A breed of a pet animal or farm animal is a particular type of it. For example, terriers are a breed of dog. □ [+ of ] …rare breeds of cattle. □ Certain breeds are more dangerous than others.
2 VERB If you breed animals or plants, you keep them for the purpose of producing more animals or plants with particular qualities, in a controlled way. □ [V n] He lived alone, breeding horses and dogs. □ [be V -ed to-inf] These dogs are bred to fight. ● breed|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ for ] There is potential for selective breeding for better yields.
3 → see also cross-breed
4 VERB When animals breed , they have babies. □ [V ] Frogs will usually breed in any convenient pond. □ [V -ing] The area now attracts over 60 species of breeding birds. ● breed|ing N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] □ During the breeding season the birds come ashore.
5 VERB If you say that something breeds bad feeling or bad behaviour, you mean that it causes bad feeling or bad behaviour to develop. □ [V n] If they are unemployed it's bound to breed resentment. □ [V n] Violence breeds violence.
6 N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can refer to someone or something as one of a particular breed of person or thing when you want to talk about what they are like. □ [+ of ] Sue is one of the new breed of British women squash players who are making a real impact. □ [+ of ] The new breed of walking holidays puts the emphasis on enjoyment, not endurance.
7 → see also breeding , ill-bred , pure-bred , well-bred
8 PHRASE Someone who was born and bred in a place was born there and grew up there. □ I was born and bred in the highlands.
9 familiarity breeds contempt → see familiarity COLLOCATIONS breed NOUN
1
noun + breed : beef, cattle, dog, sheep
adjective + breed : exotic, pedigree, rare; dangerous, hardy
6
adjective + breed : dying, vanishing; different, new
verb + breed : attract, spawn VERB
2
breed + noun : cattle, horses, pigs
5
breed + noun : contempt, success, violence
breed|er /briː də r / (breeders )