(1) 呼吸之空气(air drawn into and then sent out of the lungs)[U]：It's so cold you can see your～. 天冷极了，你能看见自己呼出的气。The dog's～smells terrible.这狗呼出的气难闻极了。pause for～停下来喘气;have no～left after running跑步后喘不过气来;～test呼吸测试(检查司机呼吸中的酒精含量);We can smell the whisky on her～.从她呼出的气中我们闻出了威士忌的气味。

(2) 呼吸(one act of drawing air into and then sending it out of the lungs)[C]：take(draw) a deep/long～深深/长长地吸一口气; draw～喘口气;活着;lose one's～喘不过气来;draw one's first/last～诞生/死亡;one's last/dying～生命的最后时刻;go out for a～of fresh air出去呼吸一下新鲜空气;The patient's～grew stronger.病人的呼吸变得有力了。with bated～屏住呼吸地; 〖同〗breathing，puff;

(3) 气息; 生命(life)[U](lit)：I shall love her as long as I have～.只要我还有口气，我就会爱她。The puppets were so real they seemed to have the very～of life.木偶活灵活现，就好像有生命似的。The～had already gone out of him by then.那时他已气息全无。〖同〗life，spirit;

(4) 微风(slight breeze)[C， a～][N(of)]：There was hardly a～of air/wind that day.那天几乎没有一丝风。Not a～of wind stirred the surface of the sea.没有一丝微风拂过海面。

(5) 气息，迹象，传言(slightest sign， hint or rumour of sth)[C，a～][N(of)](fig)：Bears come out of hibernation at the first～of spring.刚一有点儿春天的气息，熊就从冬眠状态下苏醒过来。a～of scandal丑闻的传言;Don't let anyone hear a～of our plan.不要让任何人听到丝毫有关我们计划的情况。

catch one's breath 1) 屏息：He caught his～in surprise.他惊讶得屏住了呼吸。2) 喘口气：Let me sit down to catch my～after running so fast.刚这么快跑完，让我坐下来喘口气。

hold one's breath 屏住气：He held his～in excitement.他激动得屏住了呼吸。He held his～and dived.他屏住气朝水中扎去。

out/short of breath 喘不过气来，上气不接下气：The mile run left him out of～.跑一英里使他连气都喘不过来。He became short of～as he ran up the hill.他跑到山上时已上气不接下气了。

→′breathless adj 死的; 喘不过气的;′breathlessly adv 喘不过气来地;′breathtaking adj 极为刺激的;′breathy adj (声音)微弱不清的;′breathalyse， AmE -yze， v 用呼吸测试器对……进行测试; breathe v