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breathe one's last

 - 7 dictionary results

breathe

  [breeth] verb, breathed  [breethd] , breath⋅ing.
Use breathe one's last in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to take air, oxygen, etc., into the lungs and expel it; inhale and exhale; respire.
2. (in speech) to control the outgoing breath in producing voice and speech sounds.
3. to pause, as for breath; take rest: How about giving me a chance to breathe?
4. to move gently or blow lightly, as air.
5. to live; exist: Hardly a man breathes who has not known great sorrow.
6. to be redolent of.
7. (of a material) to allow air and moisture to pass through easily: The jacket is comfortable because the fabric breathes.
8. (of the skin) to absorb oxygen and give off perspiration.
9. (of a wine) to be exposed to air after being uncorked, in order to develop flavor and bouquet.
–verb (used with object)
10. to inhale and exhale in respiration.
11. to exhale: Dragons breathe fire.
12. to inject as if by breathing; infuse: She breathed life into the party.
13. to give utterance to; whisper.
14. to express; manifest.
15. to allow to rest or recover breath: to breathe a horse.
16. to deprive of breath; tire; exhaust.
17. to cause to pant; exercise.
—Idioms
18. breathe down someone's neck,
a. to be close to someone in pursuit; menace; threaten: Police from four states were breathing down his neck.
b. to watch someone closely so as to supervise or control: If everyone keeps breathing down my neck, how can I get my work done?
19. breathe freely, to have relief from anxiety, tension, or pressure: Now that the crisis was over, he could breathe freely. Also, breathe easily, breathe easy.
20. breathe one's last, to die: He breathed his last and was buried in the churchyard.
21. not breathe a word or syllable, to maintain secrecy; keep a matter confidential: I'll tell you if you promise not to breathe a word.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME brethen, deriv. of breath

Synonyms:
14. utter, tell, murmur, voice; reveal, divulge.

last

1  [last, lahst]
–adjective a superl. of late with later as compar.
1. occurring or coming after all others, as in time, order, or place: the last line on a page.
2. most recent; next before the present; latest: last week; last Friday.
3. being the only one remaining: my last dollar; the last outpost; a last chance.
4. final: in his last hours.
5. ultimate or conclusive; definitive: the last word in the argument.
6. lowest in prestige or importance: last prize.
7. coming after all others in suitability or likelihood; least desirable: He is the last person we'd want to represent us.
8. individual; single: The lecture won't start until every last person is seated.
9. utmost; extreme: the last degree of delight.
10. Ecclesiastical. (of the sacraments of penance, viaticum, or extreme unction) extreme or final; administered to a person dying or in danger of dying.
–adverb
11. after all others; latest: He arrived last at the party.
12. on the most recent occasion: When last seen, the suspect was wearing a checked suit.
13. in the end; finally; in conclusion.
–noun
14. a person or thing that is last.
15. a final appearance or mention: We've seen the last of her. That's the last we'll hear of it.
16. the end or conclusion: We are going on vacation the last of September.
—Idioms
17. at last, after a lengthy pause or delay: He was lost in thought for several minutes, but at last he spoke.
18. at long last, after much troublesome or frustrating delay: The ship docked at long last.
19. breathe one's last, to die: He was nearly 90 when he breathed his last.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME last, latst, syncopated var. of latest, OE latest, lætest, superl. of læt, late

Synonyms:
1. Last, final, ultimate refer to what comes as an ending. That which is last comes or stands after all others in a stated series or succession; last may refer to objects or activities: a seat in the last row; the last game. That which is final comes at the end, or serves to end or terminate, admitting of nothing further; final is rarely used of objects: to make a final attempt. That which is ultimate (literally, most remote) is the last that can be reached, as in progression or regression, experience, or a course of investigation: ultimate truths.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To breathe one's last
Word Origin & History

last  (n.)
"shoemaker's block," from O.E. læste, from last "track, footprint, trace," from P.Gmc. *laistaz (cf. O.N. leistr "the foot," O.H.G. leist "track, footprint," Goth. laistjan "to follow," O.E. læran "to teach").

breathe 
c.1300, not in O.E., but it retains the original O.E. vowel of its source word, breath. Breather "spell of exercise taken to stimulate the breathing" is from 1836.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Financial Dictionary

last

See close 2.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: breathe
Pronunciation: 'brEth
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: breathed;breath·ing
intransitive senses
1 : to draw air into and expel it from the lungs : RESPIRE; broadly : to take in oxygen and giveout carbon dioxide through natural processes
2 : to inhale and exhale freely breathe transitive senses
: to inhale and exhale <breathing freshair>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Idioms & Phrases

breathe one's last

Die, as in Aunt Agatha breathed her last on Tuesday. This term was used by Shakespeare in 3 Henry VI (5:2): "Montague has breathed his last." It has survived but today is considered a poetic euphemism.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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