respiratory
Meaning
relating to or affecting the organs and processes involved in breathing
Structure
Usage
smoking can cause severe damage to the respiratory system.
she was admitted to the hospital with a respiratory infection.
the doctor listened to his respiratory sounds with a stethoscope.
Etymology
the word "respiratory" is built upon the latin verb spirare, meaning "to breathe". the prefix re-, signifying "again" or "back", is attached to form respirare, which literally means "to breathe again" or "to draw breath". this concept evolved to broadly encompass the process of breathing itself. the suffix -atory was then added to create an adjective describing anything pertaining to this vital biological function, giving us the modern term for the system that facilitates gas exchange in living organisms.
Analysis
re: latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back". spir: latin origin, from the root spirare, meaning "to breathe". atory: latin origin, an adjective-forming suffix meaning "pertaining to" or "connected with".