Breath"ing (&?;), n. 1. Respiration; the act of inhaling and exhaling air.

Subject to a difficulty of breathing.
Melmoth.

2. Air in gentle motion.

3. Any gentle influence or operation; inspiration; as, the breathings of the Spirit.

4. Aspiration; secret prayer. "Earnest desires and breathings after that blessed state." Tillotson.

5. Exercising; promotion of respiration.

Here is a lady that wants breathing too;
And I have heard, you knights of Tyre
Are excellent in making ladies trip.
Shak.

6. Utterance; communication or publicity by words.

I am sorry to give breathing to my purpose.
Shak.

7. Breathing place; vent. Dryden.

8. Stop; pause; delay.

You shake the head at so long a breathing.
Shak.

9. Also, in a wider sense, the sound caused by the friction of the outgoing breath in the throat, mouth, etc., when the glottis is wide open; aspiration; the sound expressed by the letter h.

10. (Gr. Gram.) A mark to indicate aspiration or its absence. See Rough breathing, Smooth breathing, below.

Breathing place. (a)A pause. "That cæsura, or breathing place, in the midst of the verse." Sir P. Sidney.(b)A vent. -- Breathing time, pause; relaxation.Bp. Hall. -- Breathing while, time sufficient for drawing breath; a short time.Shak. -- Rough breathing (spiritus asper) (&spasp;). See 2d Asper, n. -- Smooth breathing (spiritus lenis), a mark (') indicating the absence of the sound of h, as in 'ie`nai (ienai).