respire
pronunciation
How to pronounce respire in British English:
UK [rɪˈspaɪə(r)]
How to pronounce respire in American English:
US [rɪ'spaɪər]
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- Verb:
- breathe easily again, as after exertion or anxiety
- undergo the biomedical and metabolic processes of respiration by taking up oxygen and producing carbonmonoxide
- draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs
Word Origin
- respire
- respire: see spirit
- respire (v.)
- late 14c., from Old French respirer (12c.), from Latin respirare "breathe again, breathe in and out," from re- "again" (see re-) + spirare "to breathe" (see spirit (n.)). Related: Respired; respiring.
Example
- 1. Like other fruit bananas remain alive after being picked and they actually continue to respire .
- 2. He found that adding emulsified vegetable oil to the mix gave the bacteria energy to respire more quickly , and take up more chloroform .
- 3. Some products , such as asparagus , corn , and strawberries , respire at a higher rate than other products , such as apples , oranges , and potatoes .