noun
respiration
rehs-pih-RAY-shuhn
noun
1
The act of breathing — taking air into the lungs and releasing it.
"The nurse monitored the patient's respiration throughout the night."
"Deep respiration can help calm the body during stress."
2
In biology, the process by which cells break down nutrients using oxygen to release energy, producing carbon dioxide as a byproduct.
"Cellular respiration converts glucose and oxygen into energy, water, and carbon dioxide."
How to Use Respiration
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBreathing — or, in biology class, the chemical process cells use to get energy from food.
Common pairings
rate of respiration
cellular respiration
labored respiration
Word Forms
respirations plural
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The nurse monitored the patient's _____ throughout the night.
Etymology
From Latin respiratio, "a breathing," from respirare, "to breathe again."