apnea

noun

ap·​nea ˈap-nē-ə 

1

: transient cessation of respiration

especially : sleep apnea

2

: asphyxia sense 1

Examples of apnea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In babies and young children, symptoms may include pauses in breathing instead of coughing, which is called apnea and can cause a bluish skin tone or shortness of breath, according to MDHHS. —Nour Rahal, Detroit Free Press, 13 Dec. 2024

Overall, men are two to three times more likely to suffer from apnea than women. —Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 8 Oct. 2024

Misdiagnoses Sleep apnea can sometimes be missed in people with resistant hypertension.14 Occult hypertension might also be misdiagnosed in people with OSA. —Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 1 Dec. 2024

The worse the apnea is, the more catch-up time may be required. —Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 8 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from a- + -pnea

First Known Use

circa 1719, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing apnea

• sleep apnea

Medical Definition

apnea

noun

ap·​nea

variants or chiefly British apnoea

ˈap-nē-ə  ap-ˈnē- 

1

: transient cessation of respiration whether normal (as in hibernating animals) or abnormal (as that caused by certain drugs) see sleep apnea

2

: asphyxia

apneic adjective

or chiefly British apnoeic

ap-ˈnē-ik