The Collaborative International Dictionary
Breather \Breath"er\, n.
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One who breathes. Hence:
One who lives.
One who utters.
One who animates or inspires.
That which puts one out of breath, as violent exercise.
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a pause to catch one's breath, or for some other form of rest or refreshment; -- often used in the phrase
to take a breather, i.e. to pause for refreshment.
a vent in a container to allow equalization of internal and external pressure.
an air intake pipe to provide air to machinery or people submerged or otherwise sealed off from the outside.
Usage examples of "to take a breather".
After indicating to the class to take a breather I made my way to the group standing at the door.
When he had to take a breather after Lalla coquettishly stopped him from proceeding any further up her arm, he looked around for the little beast and was relieved to find that he was nowhere in sight.
Stopping to take a breather and glance at the surrounding territory, he noticed a bright object in the sky.
The other guests were sent back to bed, but Qwilleran stayed and helped serve coffee and sandwiches to the sooty-faced volunteers, who reported to the inn in shifts to take a breather.