See more synonyms for respiration on Thesaurus.comnoun
- the act of respiring; inhalation and exhalation of air; breathing.
- Biology.
- the sum total of the physical and chemical processes in an organism by which oxygen is conveyed to tissues and cells, and the oxidation products, carbon dioxide and water, are given off.
- an analogous chemical process, as in muscle cells or in anaerobic bacteria, occurring in the absence of oxygen.
Origin of respiration
1400–50; late Middle English respiracioun
Latin
respīrātiōn-
(stem of
respīrātiō
) a breathing out, equivalent to
respīrāt(us
) (past participle of
respīrāre
to
) +
-iōn- -ionRelated formsres·pi·ra·tion·al, adjectivepre·res·pi·ra·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for respiration
Contemporary Examples of respiration
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And some reptiles add a fourth function to the overworked cloacal repository–that of respiration as well.
Historical Examples of respiration
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And moderation, as it was justly said once, is the respiration of the philosopher.
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In the first instance it served only as an organ of respiration.
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He was thinner than before, and his eyes were red and his respiration difficult.
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It only hurries the respiration, and chokes the pulmonary vessels.
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Jimmy’s respiration was so rapid that it couldn’t be counted, so faint that it couldn’t be heard.
British Dictionary definitions for respiration
respiration
noun
- the process in living organisms of taking in oxygen from the surroundings and giving out carbon dioxide (external respiration). In terrestrial animals this is effected by breathing air
- the chemical breakdown of complex organic substances, such as carbohydrates and fats, that takes place in the cells and tissues of animals and plants, during which energy is released and carbon dioxide produced (internal respiration)
Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for respirationn.
late 14c., from Latin respirationem (nominative respiratio) “breathing, respiration,” noun of action from past participle stem of respirare (see respire).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
respiration in Medicine
respiration
[rĕs′pə-rā′shən]n.
- The act or process of inhaling and exhaling; breathing.ventilation
- The act or process by which an organism without lungs, such as a fish or plant, exchanges gases with its environment.
- The oxidative process occurring within living cells by which the chemical energy of organic molecules is released in a series of metabolic steps involving the consumption of oxygen and the liberation of carbon dioxide and water.
- Any of various analogous metabolic processes by which organisms, such as fungi, obtain energy from organic molecules.
The American Heritage® Stedman’s Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
respiration in Science
respiration
[rĕs′pə-rā′shən]- The process by which organisms exchange gases, especially oxygen and carbon dioxide, with the environment. In air-breathing vertebrates, respiration takes place in the lungs. In fish and many invertebrates, respiration takes place through the gills. Respiration in green plants occurs during photosynthesis.
- See cellular respiration.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
respiration in Culture
respiration
The conversion of oxygen by living things into the energy by which they continue life. Respiration is part of metabolism.
Note
Carbon dioxide is a waste product of respiration.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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