breath·er

[bree-ther]
noun
1.
a pause, as for breath.
2.
vigorous exercise that causes heavy breathing.
3.
a person who breathes.
4.
a vent in a container or covering, as in a casing for machinery or in a storage tank, to equalize interior and exterior pressure, permit entry of air, escape of fumes, or the like.
5.
a device for providing air from the atmosphere to submerged or otherwise sealed-off persons, internal-combustion engines, etc.: the snorkel breather of a submarine.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English brethere. See breathe, -er1


1. rest, break, time-out, recess, intermission.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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00:10
Breather is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
Collins
World English Dictionary
breather (ˈbriːðə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  informal a short pause for rest
2.  a person who breathes in a specified way: a deep breather
3.  a vent in a container to equalize internal and external pressure, such as the pipe in the crankcase of an internal-combustion engine
4.  a small opening in a room, container, cover, etc, supplying air for ventilation

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

breather
c.1600, "a living creature, one who breathes," agent noun from breathe. Meaning "spell of exercise to stimulate breathing" is from 1836; that of "a rest to recover breath" is from 1901.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

breather definition


  1. n.
    a rest period; a lull. (A chance to catch one's breath.) : As soon as we've had a breather, it's back to work.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences
Instead, take the time for a short rest, a garden walk or a breather outside.
Breather holes shall be strategically located to prevent condensation.
Stocks end mixed as traders take breather before earnings.
Please take a breather, go to the bathroom and relieve yourself.
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