respirator

noun

res·pi·ra·tor | \ ˈre-spə-ˌrā-tər

Definition of respirator

1 : a device worn over the mouth and nose to protect the respiratory tract by filtering out dangerous substances (such as dusts or fumes) from inhaled air

2 : a device for maintaining artificial respiration

Examples of respirator in a Sentence

The doctors put her on a respirator.

Recent Examples on the Web

Lindsey Magnani and her son Kahele Rodrigues, 2, listen as an official shows them how to use a respirator that was given to them to help protect against ash from Kilauea volcano, Thursday, May 17, 2018, in Volcano, Hawaii. — Washington Post, "‘Excited and scared’: Hawaii volcano spews huge cloud of ash," 18 May 2018 Put on a dual-cartridge respirator and scrape a small amount of popcorn off the ceiling and into a resealable plastic bag. — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, "How to Remove a Popcorn Ceiling," 25 Jan. 2019 Face masks can block many large droplets, while N95 respirators are designed to obstruct the passage of those very small airborne particles that can lead to illness, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). — Colleen Stinchcombe, SELF, "Here’s How Far Germs Spread Through Sneezing and Coughing," 13 Feb. 2019 Local children ride Razor scooters wearing N95 respirators. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "The Paradise fire is catastrophic. And the wildfire threat to California is only growing.," 17 Nov. 2018 Garcia writes in his report that the oil is thick enough that people need to wear respirators because of fumes. — Jeff Amy, The Seattle Times, "Federal lawyers: Gulf oil leak spills much more than thought," 17 Sep. 2018 Photos published by the prosecutor’s office show firefighters in respirators and other workers in anti-contamination suits examining gas lines. — Alex Horton, Washington Post, "Iowa family found dead in Mexico likely inhaled toxic gas from water heater, official says," 26 Mar. 2018 The air quality is so bad that cities are handing out respirator masks. — Christianna Silva, Teen Vogue, "California's Fires Lead to School Closings, Poor Air Quality, and Public Service Shutdowns as Death Toll Climbs," 16 Nov. 2018 Remember to wear your cartridge respirator doing this work. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "How to Get Rid of Bedbugs Once and For All," 6 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'respirator.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near respirator

respiration

respirational

respiration calorimeter

respirator

respiratorium

respiratory arrest

respiratory distress syndrome

Statistics for respirator

Last Updated

19 May 2019

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Time Traveler for respirator

The first known use of respirator was in 1836

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More Definitions for respirator

respirator

noun

English Language Learners Definition of respirator

: a device that you wear over your mouth and nose so that you can breathe when there is a lot of dust, smoke, etc., in the air

medical : a device that helps people to breathe when they are not able to breathe naturally

See the full definition for respirator in the English Language Learners Dictionary

respirator

noun

res·pi·ra·tor | \ ˈre-spə-ˌrā-tər

Kids Definition of respirator

1 : a device covering the mouth or nose especially to prevent the breathing in of harmful substances (as dust or fumes)

2 : a device used for helping a person to breathe

respirator

noun

res·pi·ra·tor | \ ˈres-pə-ˌrāt-ər

Medical Definition of respirator

1 : a device (as a gas mask) worn over the mouth and nose to protect the respiratory system by filtering out dangerous substances (as dust or fumes) from inhaled air

2 : a device for maintaining artificial respiration a mechanical respirator

— called also ventilator