I. Lit., to blow or breathe back; to breathe out, exhale (class.; esp. in the trop. signif.): “quod nisi respirent venti, vis nulla refrenet Res ... nunc quia respirant, etc.,” Lucr. 6, 568 sq.: “cum aspera arteria ad pulmones usque pertineat excipiatque animam eam, quae ducta sit spiritu eandemque a pulmonibus respiret et reddat,” Cic. N. D. 2, 54, 136: “ex eā pars redditur respirando,” id. ib. 2, 55, 138: “malignum aëra,” to exhale, send forth, Stat. S. 2, 2, 78; cf. id. ib. 2, 4, 35; and poet.: “fistula,” i. e. to sound, Calp. Ecl. 4, 74.—
II. Transf., in gen., to take breath; to breathe, respire (only neutr.).
A. Lit.: “propius fore eos ad respirandum,” Cic. Fin. 4, 23, 64; 3, 14, 48: “sine respirem, quaeso,” Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 20 (with recipere anhelitum); id. Pers. 3, 3, 12: O Clitopho, timeo. Clit. respiro, Ter. Heaut. 2, 2, 12; Quint. 8, 5, 14; Plin. 14, 22, 28, § 146: “ut non ter deciens respiret,” Juv. 14, 28 al.—
B. Trop., to fetch one's breath again, to recover breath; to recover, revive, be relieved or refreshed after any thing difficult (as labor, care, etc.); constr. absol. or ab aliquā re.
(α).
Absol.: “(improbitas) cujus in animo versatur, numquam sinit eum respirare, numquam acquiescere,” Cic. Fin. 1, 16, 52; cf.: “si armis positis civitas respiraverit,” id. Fam. 6, 2, 2 (with recreari): “cum tot negotiis distentus sit, ut libere respirare non possit,” id. Rosc. Am. 8, 22: “respiravi, liberatus sum,” id. Mil. 18, 47: “homines respirasse videbantur,” id. Sest. 38, 71; id. Att. 2, 24, 5; 7, 13, a, 3; “10, 1: spatium respirandi dare,” Liv. 10, 28; 26, 26 fin.; 28, 31; Verg. A. 9, 813 al.: “quo animi respirant,” Quint. 9, 4, 62.—Impers. pass.: “ita respiratum, mittique legationes coeptae,” Liv. 29, 4.—
(β).
With ab: “respirare a metu,” Cic. Clu. 70, 200; id. Har. Resp. 23, 48: “ab eorum mixtis precibus minisque, Liv 4, 25: a continuis cladibus,” id. 22, 18; cf.: “aures poëticis voluptatibus a forensi asperitate,” Quint. 1, 8, 11.—
2. Transf., twice in Cic., of the exertion or passion itself, to abate, diminish, cease (syn.: “remittere, cessare): oppugnatio respiravit,” Cic. Phil. 8, 7, 20: “cupiditas atque avaritia respirasset,” id. Quint. 16, 53.
