respiration

noun

res·​pi·​ra·​tion ˌre-spə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce respiration (audio)
1
a
: the movement of air or dissolved gases into and out of the lungs
b
: a single complete act of breathing
… the patient was cyanotic and unconscious with labored respirations at 40/min.Dorwyn W. Croom
2
: the physical and chemical processes (such as breathing and diffusion) by which an organism supplies its cells and tissues with the oxygen needed for metabolism and relieves them of the carbon dioxide formed in energy-producing reactions
3
respiratory adjective

Examples of respiration in a Sentence

The doctor checked his heartbeat and respiration.
Recent Examples on the Web These wearables can’t measure respiration directly, just variations in heart rate presumably caused by breathing. Celia Ford, WIRED, 7 Dec. 2023 The Apgar Score, performed one minute and five minutes after a baby is born, called for a consistent, rapid evaluation of five categories associated with a newborn’s health: heart rate, respiration, muscle tone or activity, reflex response to stimulation, and skin color. Amos Grünebaum, STAT, 23 Jan. 2024 Researchers have found that iron and aluminum on fish gills hinder respiration. Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 19 Dec. 2023 At 11:15, Hancock was given a three-drug lethal injection: midazolam for sedation, vecuronium bromide to halt respiration and potassium chloride, which stops the heart. Emma Goldberg Desiree Rios, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2024 The hypothalamus works to regulate the autonomic nervous system, a system that coordinates involuntary responses such as heart rate, blood pressure and respiration. Seena Mathew, Discover Magazine, 14 Dec. 2023 With diaphragmatic breathing, your diaphragm—the muscle below your lungs that plays a key role in respiration—goes through its full range of motion, and this movement allows for a 360-degree expansion around your spine. Sivan Fagan, SELF, 27 Oct. 2022 The platform also brilliantly calculates my sleep stages, including my average heart and respiration rates. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 23 Oct. 2023 Their solution was to detect byproducts of respiration or metabolic activity — the functions that all life seems to undertake — rather than look for specific types of cells. Marissa Grunes, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'respiration.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English respiracioun, from Latin respiration-, respiratio, from respirare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of respiration was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near respiration

Cite this Entry

“Respiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respiration. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

respiration

noun
res·​pi·​ra·​tion ˌres-pə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce respiration (audio)
1
: the act or process of breathing
2
: the physical processes (as breathing and diffusion) by which a living thing obtains the oxygen it needs to produce energy and eliminate waste gases (as carbon dioxide)
3
: any of various chemical reactions (as oxidation) in cells that release energy from food molecules (as glucose)

Medical Definition

respiration

noun
res·​pi·​ra·​tion ˌres-pə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce respiration (audio)
1
a
: the movement of respiratory gases (as oxygen and carbon dioxide) into and out of the lungs
b
: a single complete act of breathing
30 respirations per minute
2
: the physical and chemical processes (as breathing and diffusion) by which an organism supplies its cells and tissues with the oxygen needed for metabolism and relieves them of the carbon dioxide formed in energy-producing reactions
3

More from Merriam-Webster on respiration

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