资料来源 : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

   {At last}, at the end of a certain period; after delay. ``The
      duke of Savoy felt that the time had at last arrived.''
      --Motley.

   {At the last}. [Prob. fr. AS. on l[=a]ste behind, following
      behind, fr. l[=a]st race, track, footstep. See {Last} mold
      of the foot.] At the end; in the conclusion. [Obs.] ``Gad,
      a troop shall overcome him; but he shall overcome at the
      last.'' --Gen. xlix. 19.

   {Last heir}, the person to whom lands escheat for want of an
      heir. [Eng.] --Abbott.

   {On one's last legs}, at, or near, the end of one's
      resources; hence, on the verge of failure or ruin,
      especially in a financial sense. [Colloq.]

   {To breathe one's last}, to die.

   {To the last}, to the end; till the conclusion.

            And blunder on in business to the last. --Pope.

   Syn: {At Last}, {At Length}.

   Usage: These phrases both denote that some delayed end or
          result has been reached. At length implies that a long
          period was spent in so doing; as, after a voyage of
          more than three months, we at Length arrived safe. At
          last commonly implies that something has occurred (as
          interruptions, disappointments, etc.) which leads us
          to emphasize the idea of having reached the end; as,
          in spite of every obstacle, we have at last arrived.

Breathe \Breathe\, v. t.
   1. To inhale and exhale in the process of respiration; to
      respire.

            To view the light of heaven, and breathe the vital
            air.                                  --Dryden.

   2. To inject by breathing; to infuse; -- with into.

            Able to breathe life into a stone.    --Shak.

            And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the
            ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of
            life.                                 --Gen. ii. 7.

   3. To emit or utter by the breath; to utter softly; to
      whisper; as, to breathe a vow.

            He softly breathed thy name.          --Dryden.

            Or let the church, our mother, breathe her curse, A
            mother's curse, on her revolting son. --Shak.

   4. To exhale; to emit, as breath; as, the flowers breathe
      odors or perfumes.

   5. To express; to manifest; to give forth.

            Others articles breathe the same severe spirit.
                                                  --Milner.

   6. To act upon by the breath; to cause to sound by breathing.
      ``They breathe the flute.'' --Prior.

   7. To promote free respiration in; to exercise.

            And every man should beat thee. I think thou wast
            created for men to breathe themselves upon thee.
                                                  --Shak.

   8. To suffer to take breath, or recover the natural
      breathing; to rest; as, to breathe a horse.

            A moment breathed his panting steed.  --Sir W.
                                                  Scott.

   9. To put out of breath; to exhaust.

            Mr. Tulkinghorn arrives in his turret room, a little
            breathed by the journey up.           --Dickens.

   10. (Phonetics) To utter without vocality, as the nonvocal
       consonants.

             The same sound may be pronounces either breathed,
             voiced, or whispered.                --H. Sweet.

             Breathed elements, being already voiceless, remain
             unchanged

   Note: [in whispering].                         --H. Sweet.

   {To breathe again}, to take breath; to feel a sense of
      relief, as from danger, responsibility, or press of
      business.

   {To breathe one's last}, to die; to expire.

   {To breathe a vein}, to open a vein; to let blood. --Dryden.