respiration

noun

res·pi·ra·tion | \ ˌre-spə-ˈrā-shən

Definition of respiration

1a : the movement of air or dissolved gases into and out of the lungs

b : a single complete act of breathing … the patient was cyanotic and unconscious with labored respirations at 40/min.— Dorwyn W. Croom

2 : the physical and chemical processes (such as breathing and diffusion) by which an organism supplies its cells and tissues with the oxygen needed for metabolism and relieves them of the carbon dioxide formed in energy-producing reactions

3 : cellular respiration

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Examples of respiration in a Sentence

The doctor checked his heartbeat and respiration.

Recent Examples on the Web The tape shows his respiration slowing markedly, then seemingly stopping. — Greg Moran, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Lawyer: San Diego police were present when MTS officers pinned man to ground, held a knee to his neck," 29 Apr. 2021 Vegetables with higher respiration rates include artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, scallions, mushrooms and sweet corn. — Anne-marie Bonneau, Los Angeles Times, "Most food waste in the U.S. occurs at the consumer level. You can do something about it," 15 Apr. 2021 The app collects heart rate, respiration rate and body temperature data from Fitbits, Apple Watches and other wearables, and then uses artificial intelligence to pick up slight changes in those metrics that may indicate a person is sick. — Rachel Sandler, Forbes, "New Zealand To Pilot Early Covid-19 Detection App On Border Workers," 15 Apr. 2021 Moseng acknowledged that Floyd was alert, obeying commands, and his respiration and pulse rates were normal. — Star Tribune, "A day-by-day recap of the Derek Chauvin murder trial," 15 Apr. 2021 Eldridge questioned Moseng as to whether Floyd was alert, able to walk, obeyed commands, and whether his respiration and pulse rates were normal, which Moseng wrote in his health report. — NBC News, "Prosecution rests in Derek Chauvin trial, defense begins its case," 13 Apr. 2021 Tobin said fentanyl typically cuts a person’s respiration rate by about 40 percent. — Washington Post, "George Floyd died of low level of oxygen, medical expert testifies; Derek Chauvin kept knee on his neck 'majority of the time’," 6 Apr. 2021 Fentanyl kills by shutting down the part of the brain that controls respiration. — Washington Post, "At the heart of Derek Chauvin’s trial is this question: What killed George Floyd?," 9 Mar. 2021 What the researchers and doctors at Mount Sinai hadn’t realized was that even mild cases might be affecting respiration after the acute phase of the disease. — Meghan O'rourke, The Atlantic, "The Quest to Unlock the Mysteries of Long COVID," 8 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'respiration.' 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 respiration

respiration calorimeter

respirator

Statistics for respiration

Last Updated

6 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Respiration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respiration. Accessed 9 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for respiration

respiration

noun

English Language Learners Definition of respiration

medical : the act or process of breathing

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

respiration

noun

res·pi·ra·tion | \ ˌre-spə-ˈrā-shən

Kids Definition of respiration

1 : the act or process of breathing : the inhaling of oxygen and the exhaling of carbon dioxide

2 : the process by which cells use oxygen to break down sugar and obtain energy

respiration

noun

res·pi·ra·tion | \ ˌres-pə-ˈrā-shən

Medical Definition of respiration

1a : the movement of respiratory gases (as oxygen and carbon dioxide) into and out of the lungs

b : a single complete act of breathing 30 respirations per minute

2 : the physical and chemical processes (as breathing and diffusion) by which an organism supplies its cells and tissues with the oxygen needed for metabolism and relieves them of the carbon dioxide formed in energy-producing reactions

3 : cellular respiration

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