First, note that it is "bated" breath. Though the form "baited" is often used, it is still considered to be a misspelling. ["Baited" has a different sense, too.] "Bated" is a clipped form [technically, an aphetic] of "abated," just as squireis a clipped form of esquire. Abated means "lessened," "weakened," or "diminished": the word stresses the idea of progressive diminishing, as in the storm abated. The expression "bated breath" appears in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, but the origin of the idiom "waiting with bated breath" is lost in the dark past of our language.
It's "waiting with BATED breath". To bate is to reduce, lessen or diminish. Waiting with bated breath implies waiting with such suspense that one is hardly breathing.
First, note that it is "bated" breath. Though the form "baited" is often used, it is still considered to be a misspelling. ["Baited" has a different sense, too.] "Bated" is a clipped form [technically, an aphetic] of "abated," just as squireis a clipped form of esquire. Abated means "lessened," "weakened," or "diminished": the word stresses the idea of progressive diminishing, as in the storm abated. The expression "bated breath" appears in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, but the origin of the idiom "waiting with bated breath" is lost in the dark past of our language.
Baited Breath - 2011 was released on: USA: August 2011
The cast of Baited Breath - 2001 includes: Samantha Bell as Jenny Rattel Lynda Rooke as Rachel Rattel Ben Tinniswood as Mr. Hannard Stuart Wells as Lee Barker
Nothing to do with bait, of course (as in, the cat ate a lump of cheese and waited outside the mousehole with baited breath). In fact, BATED is short for ABATED, or ceased; it just means holding your breath. Bated breath is breathing that is difficult because of emotion.
Nothing to do with bait, of course (as in, the cat ate a lump of cheese and waited outside the mousehole with baited breath). In fact, BATED is short for ABATED, or ceased; it just means holding your breath. Bated breath is breathing that is difficult because of emotion.
The phrase "waiting with bated breath" originated from William Shakespeare's play "The Merchant of Venice" written in the late 16th century. The term "bated" is a shortened form of "abated," which means to lessen or reduce, suggesting that one is holding their breath in anticipation or suspense.
Being the first human being to set foot on the moon was a huge acomplishment. The whole world waited with baited breath as he made his way down that ladder.
The cast of Baited Breath - 2011 includes: Ryan Dudek as Gordon Glekko Jekiel Garvey as Freddie "Junior" Funk Theresa Hunziker as Stacy Snifter Amy Jaramillo as Balise a. Trell Hannah Kemal as Hazel Bender Aaron Landon Bornstein as Jean Saint Duci Teju Owoye as Lora Altman Giovanni Tejada as Neil Kamoniwanalaya Chris Tenney as Steve Smyth Lisa Winans as Xandra Zarco
Act 1, Scene III Shylock . . .
No. Human beings cannot breath underwater at all without an external source of air.
a comma is used when the writer would like to indicate a pause in the conversation. This pause can be the result of a breath, the result of a thought, or the result of waiting for the person to catch on. Other uses of the comma include, "right before quotation marks", when separating varriables (as in a list), or when leading to a new clause in the sentence that is directly dependant on the first clause.