breather en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
From breathe + -er (agent noun suffix) or + -er (relational noun suffix).
Meanings
- Something or someone that breathes.
-
(specifically) Something or someone that breathes. ▸ A heavy breather.
Most of us make sense of the world through talk and sight, and breathers represent that most anxiety provoking experience, nothingness with a hint of possibility.
1981 April 25, Martin H. Krieger, “Phone Calls”, in Gay Community News, page 12:
-
(colloquial) A short break; a rest or respite.
After a short breather she was ready to continue up the hill.
I took a breather and decided not to ruin my life
2025, “Spike Island”, in More, performed by Pulp:
- A spatially localized, time-periodic excitation in a one-dimensional lattice.
- (colloquial, dated) That which puts one out of breath, such as vigorous exercise.
- An air inlet path to the crankcase
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| breathers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
chest breather · mouth-breather · mouth breather · firebreather · multibreather · fire-breather · interbreather · breather switch · phonobreather · airbreather · take a breather
Synonyms
hiatus (short break) · recess · moratorium
Translations (20)
bg отдих (short break) · uk перепочи́нок (short break) · de Atempause (short break) · mr श्वसक (something that breathes) · fi hengittäjä (something that breathes) · pl odsapka (short break) · fr pause (short break) · tr nefes alan (something that breathes) · fi hengähdysaika (short break) · es respiro (short break) · de Atmende (something that breathes) · fi hengähdystauko (short break) · de Verschnaufpause (short break) · ca respirador (something that breathes) · sk oddych (short break) · tr ara (short break) · mr विश्रांती (short break) · gv aash veg (short break) · ru переды́шка (short break) · es respirador (something that breathes)