expiration
English
Alternative forms
- exspiration (obsolete)
Etymology
From Middle English expiracioun, exspiracioun (“vapor, breath”), from Latin expīrātiōnem, exspīrātiōnem, accusative singular of expīrātiō, exspīrātiō.[1][2] By surface analysis, expire + -ation.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˌɛk.spəˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
Audio (Southern England): (file) - (Philippines, nonstandard) IPA(key): /ˌɛk.spaɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
- Rhymes: -eɪʃən
Noun
expiration (countable and uncountable, plural expirations)
- An act, process, or instance of expiring.
- (uncountable) The act or process of breathing out, or forcing air from the lungs through the nose or mouth.
- Synonym: exhalation
- Antonyms: inspiration, inhalation
- Holonym: respiration
- crackles heard on expiration
- (countable) A single outward breath.
- Synonym: exhalation
- Antonyms: inspiration, inhalation
- labored expirations
- Other similar release of volatile matter.
- Synonym: emission
- (euphemistic) The last emission of breath; thus, synonym of death.
- Synonyms: demise, quietus; see also Thesaurus:death
- Any other (metaphorically comparable) cessation, extinction, or ending.
- Synonyms: termination, end
- expiration date
- That which is produced by breathing out, as a sound.
- (uncountable) The act or process of breathing out, or forcing air from the lungs through the nose or mouth.
Usage notes
- In most senses, mainly US; UK equivalent is expiry.
- The pronunciation based on that of expire is common in Philippine English, but is otherwise proscribed elsewhere.
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
act of expiring
|
act or process of breathing out, or forcing air from the lungs through the nose or mouth; as, respiration consists of inspiration and expiration
|
emission of volatile matter; exhalation
|
last emission of breath; death
|
coming to a close; cessation; extinction; termination; end
|
That which is expired; matter breathed forth; that which is produced by breathing out
References
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “expiration (n.)”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
- ^ “expirāciǒun, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
French
Etymology
Inherited from Middle French expiration, borrowed from Latin exspīrātiōnem.
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Noun
expiration f (plural expirations)
- expiration (act of expiring)
- expiration (act of breathing out)
- expiration (end)
Related terms
Further reading
- “expiration”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.