respiratory

Definition

Relating to respiration or the organs of respiration; breathing.

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin respīrātōrius, equal to respire + -atory.

Example Sentences

• "Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola. A recent study explored the ecological variables that may contribute to bats’ propensity to harbor such zoonotic diseases by comparing them with another order of common reservoir hosts: rodents."
• "The vaccine would be the first to protect babies from respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V., which is the reason many infants are admitted to children’s hospitals each year and kills several hundred under 5 each year."

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