[f. BREATHE v. + -ER1.]
1. He who, or that which, breathes; one who lives, a living being, creature, animal.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., lxxxi. When all the breathers of this world are dead. Ibid. (1606), Ant. & Cl., III. iii. 24. She shewes a body, rather then a life, A Statue, then a Breather.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 135. Those reasonless breathers that live under us.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., cxviii. 6. Breathers of an ampler day.
† 2. He who, or that which, supplies breath; fig. inspirer, animater.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 354. Calleth it [the midriff] the breather or bellowes of the lower belly.
1687. Norris, Coll. Misc., 7 (J.).
| Here stop my Muse, stop and admire, | |
| The Breather of all Life does now expire. |
3. A spell of exercise taken to stimulate the breathing, or to try the wind; cf. BREATH 8. Also, that which puts out of breath, or exhausts.
a. 1836. Colman, Poor Gent., iv. 11 (L.). Here we are at last—that hill’s a breather.
1861. Whyte-Melville, Mkt. Harb., 229. They gave the hapless ‘Marathon’ a spin with ‘Chance,’ as a mere breather.
1884. Cyclist, 13 Feb., 249/1. Cyclists are looking forward to being able to take a ‘breather’ during the present week.
4. One who breathes forth, speaks, proclaims.
1382. Wyclif, Acts ix. 1. Saul, ȝit brethere, or blowere, of manassis and betyng.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., IV. iv. 31. For my Authority beares of a credent bulke, That no particular scandall once can touch But it confounds the breather.
1612. T. James, Jesuits Downef., 8. These are the very first brokers, breathers and brochers of contention abroad.
1812. L. Hunt, in Examiner, 14 Dec., 787/2. This Breather of Eloquence could not say a few decent … words.
