respiration

noun

res·​pi·​ra·​tion ˌre-spə-ˈrā-shən 

1

a

: 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

respiratory

ˈre-sp(ə-)rə-ˌtȯr-ē 

ri-ˈspī-rə-

adjective

Example Sentences

The doctor checked his heartbeat and respiration.

Recent Examples on the Web

While sleeping, most people tend to hover between 12 and 20 breaths per minute and changes in that rate of respiration could signal serious issues. —Chris Velazco, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2023

The wonderful and amazing fact about the terrestrial carbon cycle is that the amount of atmospheric CO2 captured by the plants and in the soil each year is almost perfectly balanced with the amount of CO2 that is sent back into the atmosphere through respiration, decay, fires, and all of that. —Erik Kobayashi-solomon, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2022

Other researchers will also be able to tweak the design, perhaps to improve the energy-harvesting components and extend the battery life, to study health care workers’ fatigue throughout the day or to use the respiration monitor to learn about mask wearers’ health. —Sophie Bushwick, Scientific American, 12 Jan. 2022

During this stage, your heart rate, respiration, and brain wave activity reach their lowest points and your muscles relax completely. —Michael Williams, Discover Magazine, 30 Aug. 2021

The device, called Whoop Strap, detected an unexpected spike in Watney’s respiration rate. —Hiawatha Bray, BostonGlobe.com, 24 June 2020

Wearables track our biomarkers: heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and more. —Lizette Warner, Quartz, 4 May 2023

Cortisol, along with epinephrine and norepinephrine, activate the body’s sympathetic nervous system, triggering a lineup of physiological responses that speed up respiration, constrict blood vessels, dilate pupils, and slow down the digestive system. —Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 15 Apr. 2021

Garmin makes a range of stylish wearables that can track a variety of health data including sleep, heart rate and pulse, respiration, hydration, and menstrual cycles. —Kasandra Brabaw, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2022

See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English respiracioun, from Latin respiration-, respiratio, from respirare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing respiration

• cell respiration
• internal respiration
• external respiration
• cellular respiration
• artificial respiration

• cell respiration
• internal respiration
• external respiration
• cellular respiration
• artificial respiration

Kids Definition

respiration

noun

res·​pi·​ra·​tion ˌres-pə-ˈrā-shən 

1

: the act or process of breathing

2

: the physical processes (as breathing and diffusion) by which a living thing obtains the oxygen it needs to produce energy and eliminate waste gases (as carbon dioxide)

3

: any of various chemical reactions (as oxidation) in cells that release energy from food molecules (as glucose)

Medical Definition

respiration

noun

res·​pi·​ra·​tion ˌres-pə-ˈrā-shən 

1

a

: 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