exhalant
|ex-hal-ant|
🇺🇸
/ɪkˈsælənt/
🇬🇧
/ɪkˈsæl(ə)nt/
breathing out
Etymology
'exhalant' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'exhalare', where 'ex-' meant 'out' and 'halare' meant 'to breathe'.
'exhalare' passed into Late Latin and then into English as 'exhale' in the early modern period; the adjective form 'exhalant' was later formed from this verb.
Initially it meant 'to breathe out' (the action); over time it developed adjectival and nominal senses meaning 'emitting breath' or 'that which exhales', with specialized anatomical/biological uses.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
something that exhales or a current/structure that carries exhaled water or air (e.g., an exhalant siphon or exhalant current in marine animals).
The bivalve used its exhalant to expel water and waste from the mantle cavity.
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Adjective 1
emitting or relating to exhalation; breathing out; expiratory.
The respiratory therapist noted the exhalant phase of the patient's breathing cycle.
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Last updated: 2025/12/14 09:07