breather

noun

breath·​er ˈbrē-t͟hər 

1

: one that breathes

2

: a break in activity for rest or relief

3

: a small vent in an otherwise airtight enclosure

Synonyms

• break
• breath
• interruption
• lull
• pause
• recess

Examples of breather in a Sentence

He decided to give them a breather.

took a breather from the seemingly endless task of sorting through years of stuff stored in the attic

Recent Examples on the Web

Stocks remain near all-time-high levels, despite Wall Street taking a breather from a strong year-end rally in the wake of the presidential election. —Brian Evans, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024

The drama is almost inevitable right now, so take a breather before the next act. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024

The director – who shared the Academy Award and Golden Globe for best screenplay with Arthur Harari for her Cannes Palme d’Or winning courtroom drama – took a breather from her writing this weekend to attend the Marrakech Film Festival. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Dec. 2024

Montero says, while taking a breather from cleaning near a gorge that was filled with a crushing wall of water just days earlier. —Teresa Medrano, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

breather

noun

breath·​er ˈbrē-t͟hər 

1

: one that breathes

2

: a pause for rest : break

Medical Definition

breather

noun

breath·​er ˈbrē-t͟hər 

: one that breathes usually in a specified way see mouth breather