with bated breath
prep_phrase/wɪð ˈbeɪtɪd ˈbɹɛθ/UK
Etymology
From the verb bate, alteration by aphesis of the verb abate (“to reduce; lessen”). Coined by William Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice, see quotations.
Definitions
With reduced breath.
- Shall I bend low, and in a bond-mans key / With bated breath, and whiſpring humbleneſſe, / Say this:
- […] with parted lips and bated breath the audience hung upon his words, taking no note of time, rapt in the ghastly fascinations of the tale.
- Speak gently, Ο my son, speak gently now / With 'bated breath^([sic]), speak low.
Eagerly
Eagerly; with great anticipation.
- We are waiting with bated breath for the release of the new version.
The neighborhood
Vish — recursive loop
No curated loop yet for with bated breath. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA