breath 
/ˈbrɛθ/ noun
plural breaths /ˈbrɛθ/ noun 1 [noncount] : the air that you take into your lungs and send out from your lungs when you breathe : air that is inhaled and exhaled in breathing
▪ gum that freshens your breath ▪ His breath smells like garlic. = He has garlic breath. ▪ It's so cold outside that I can see my breath. ▪ We could smell the alcohol on his breath. [=his breath smelled of alcohol] ▪ He has bad breath. [=breath that smells unpleasant] — sometimes used before another noun ▪ Would you like a breath mint? [=a candy used to make breath smell better] — see also breath test 2 a [noncount] : the ability to breathe freely
▪ He was fighting/struggling for breath. [=he was having a lot of difficulty breathing] ▪ My mad dash for the bus left me gasping for breath. ◊To catch your breath or (Brit) get your breath back is to rest until you are able to breathe normally.
▪ Give me a moment to catch my breath. ◊If you are out of breath, you are breathing very hard because you have been running or doing hard physical work.
▪ I'm a little out of breath from walking up all those stairs. ◊Someone who is short of breath or who has shortness of breath has difficulty breathing in enough air especially because of a physical or medical condition.
▪ The patient complains that he's short of breath. ▪ The doctor asked if I had been experiencing shortness of breath lately.
b [count] : an amount of air that you take into your lungs
▪ I took/drew a long breath before speaking again. ▪ The patient was only able to take shallow breaths. [=only able to take in small amounts of air] ▪ Take a deep breath. [=breathe deeply; take a lot of air into your lungs] ▪ (US) I've barely had time to (stop and/to) take a breath since they got here. = (Brit) I've barely had time to draw breath since they got here. [=I have not been able to pause and rest] ▪ She recited the whole list in one breath. [=she recited it without stopping to breathe] ▪ her last/dying breath [=the breath that she took just before she died] ◊If you say two different things in the same breath, or if you say one thing and then something else in the next breath, it means that you say these things very close together.
▪ It's unusual to hear “promotions” mentioned in the same breath as “layoffs.” ▪ She praises their work, then criticizes them in the next breath. [=then immediately criticizes them] ◊If someone says that you are wasting your breath or tells you to save your breath or to not waste your breath, it means that the things you say will not make someone behave or think differently and that you should not bother to try.
▪ He begged her to go with him, but she told him he was wasting his breath. ▪ You're not going to get him to stop drinking, so don't waste your breath. 3 [count] : a slight breeze — usually singular ▪ a hot day with scarcely a breath of wind 4 [singular] : a very small amount of something
▪ a faint breath [=hint] of scandal ▪ There was never even the slightest breath [=suggestion] of suspicion.
▪ gum that freshens your breath ▪ His breath smells like garlic. = He has garlic breath. ▪ It's so cold outside that I can see my breath. ▪ We could smell the alcohol on his breath. [=his breath smelled of alcohol] ▪ He has bad breath. [=breath that smells unpleasant] — sometimes used before another noun ▪ Would you like a breath mint? [=a candy used to make breath smell better] — see also breath test
▪ He was fighting/struggling for breath. [=he was having a lot of difficulty breathing] ▪ My mad dash for the bus left me gasping for breath. ◊To catch your breath or (Brit) get your breath back is to rest until you are able to breathe normally.
▪ Give me a moment to catch my breath. ◊If you are out of breath, you are breathing very hard because you have been running or doing hard physical work.
▪ I'm a little out of breath from walking up all those stairs. ◊Someone who is short of breath or who has shortness of breath has difficulty breathing in enough air especially because of a physical or medical condition.
▪ The patient complains that he's short of breath. ▪ The doctor asked if I had been experiencing shortness of breath lately.
b [count] : an amount of air that you take into your lungs
▪ I took/drew a long breath before speaking again. ▪ The patient was only able to take shallow breaths. [=only able to take in small amounts of air] ▪ Take a deep breath. [=breathe deeply; take a lot of air into your lungs] ▪ (US) I've barely had time to (stop and/to) take a breath since they got here. = (Brit) I've barely had time to draw breath since they got here. [=I have not been able to pause and rest] ▪ She recited the whole list in one breath. [=she recited it without stopping to breathe] ▪ her last/dying breath [=the breath that she took just before she died] ◊If you say two different things in the same breath, or if you say one thing and then something else in the next breath, it means that you say these things very close together.
▪ It's unusual to hear “promotions” mentioned in the same breath as “layoffs.” ▪ She praises their work, then criticizes them in the next breath. [=then immediately criticizes them] ◊If someone says that you are wasting your breath or tells you to save your breath or to not waste your breath, it means that the things you say will not make someone behave or think differently and that you should not bother to try.
▪ He begged her to go with him, but she told him he was wasting his breath. ▪ You're not going to get him to stop drinking, so don't waste your breath.
▪ a faint breath [=hint] of scandal ▪ There was never even the slightest breath [=suggestion] of suspicion.
a breath of fresh air 1 : clean or cool outside air after you have been in a building for a period of time
▪ We went outside to get a breath of fresh air. 2 : someone or something that is different in a way that is interesting, exciting, enjoyable, etc.
▪ His unusual outlook is a breath of fresh air. ▪ After dealing for so long with a difficult boss, our new supervisor is a breath of fresh air.
▪ We went outside to get a breath of fresh air.
▪ His unusual outlook is a breath of fresh air. ▪ After dealing for so long with a difficult boss, our new supervisor is a breath of fresh air.
hold your breath 1 : to keep the air that you have breathed in your lungs for a short time instead of breathing out
▪ How long can you hold your breath? 2 informal — used to say that you do not believe that something will happen soon or at all ▪ He says he'll do it, but I'm not holding my breath. [=I doubt he will do it] ▪ “She promised to pay me tomorrow.” “Well, don't hold your breath.” [=do not expect her to pay you tomorrow]
▪ How long can you hold your breath?
take your breath away
◊Something that takes your breath away is extremely exciting, beautiful, or surprising.
▪ The acrobatic skill of the dancers took my breath away.
▪ The acrobatic skill of the dancers took my breath away.
under your breath
◊If you say something under your breath, you say it quietly so that it is difficult to hear.
▪ We heard her mutter something under her breath.
▪ We heard her mutter something under her breath.
with bated breath — see bated
