breather
breather Lexical Profile
breather Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A brief pause or rest from work, exercise, or a demanding activity, taken to recover one's breath or energy.
"After moving heavy boxes up three flights of stairs, we stopped on the landing to take a quick breather."
A living person or organism that breathes, especially in a specified way.
"Marine mammals are air breathers that must periodically return to the surface of the ocean."
A vent or valve in a mechanical system, such as an engine crankcase or fuel tank, that equalizes internal pressure by allowing air or gases to pass in and out.
"The mechanic cleaned the clogged crankcase breather to prevent oil from leaking around the seals."
• Rhymes for breather
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the 16th century from the verb 'breathe' and the agentive suffix '-er', originally meaning 'one who breathes' before acquiring the informal sense of a short pause to catch one's breath in the early 19th century.