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re·spire (rĭ-spīr)
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v. re·spired, re·spir·ing, re·spires
v.intr.
1. To breathe in and out; inhale and exhale: respired with difficulty.
2. To carry out the metabolic process of respiration: Different parts of a plant respire at different rates.
3. Archaic To regain one's spirits, as after a period of exertion or trouble.
v.tr.
1. To inhale and exhale (air, for example); breathe.
2. To use (a molecule or compound) for the metabolic process of respiration: bacteria that respire sulfur compounds.
3. To keep (a person or animal) breathing by artificial means: "Becky was still being respired by the ventilator" (Robin Cook).
[Middle English respiren, to breathe again, from Latin respīrāre : re-, re- + spīrāre, to breathe.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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