respire Hear it!

respire Definition

re·spire (ri spīr′)

intransitive verb -·spired′, -·spir′·ing

  1. to breathe or carry on respiration; inhale and exhale air
  2. Old Poet. to breathe freely or easily again, as after exertion or anxiety

Etymology: ME respiren < OFr respirer < L respirare < re-, back + spirare, to breathe: see spirit

transitive verb

to breathe or carry on respiration

respire Usage Examples

Object

  • tissue: In a warm room, actively respiring tissues of the cut face will become colored within 10 to 20 minutes.
  • air: The cilia sweep out particles in the respired air that are caught in the mucus secreted by the goblet cells.

Preposition: for

energy: Feeding relationships The main interactions in an ecosystem involve food, which all living organisms need as fuel to respire for energy.

Modifying Another Word

aerobically: A few tissues ( e.g. red blood cells, eye lens ) have no mitochondria, and cannot respire aerobically.