breath

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. respiration, inhalation, exhalation; breeze. See life, wind.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [Respiration]

Syn. inhalation, exhalation, inspiration, expiration, breathing, gasp, sigh, pant, suspiration, wheeze.

2. [A very light wind]

Syn. whiff, flutter, puff; see wind 1 .

• catch one's breath,

Syn. pause, rest, stop, slow down; see pause .

• in the same breath,

Syn. simultaneously, concurrently, at the same time; see together 2 .

• out of breath,

Syn. gasping, winded, exhausted; see breathless .

• save one's breath*,

Syn. be quiet, refrain from talking, never mind; see quiet 2 , shut up 1 .

• take one's breath away,

Syn. thrill, stagger, stun; see excite 1 , surprise 1 .

• under one's breath ,

Syn. quietly, muttering, murmuring, sotto voce; see whispering .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

whiff, puff, air, respiration, sigh, wheeze, whisper, gasp, inhalation, exhalation, aspiration.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun 1. The vital principle or animating force within living beings: divine spark, élan vital, life force, psyche, soul, spirit, vital force, vitality. See BODY. 2. The act or process of breathing: respiration. See BREATH. 3. Air breathed out, evidenced by vapor, odor, or heat: exhalation. See BREATH. 4. A slight amount or indication: dash, ghost, hair, hint, intimation, semblance, shade, shadow, soupçon, streak, suggestion, suspicion, taste, tinge, touch, trace, whiff, whisper. Informal: whisker. See BIG, SHOW.