spiro-, spir-, spira-, spirat-, -spire, -spiring, -spiration, -spirational

(Latin: breath of life, breath, breathing; mind; spirit, "soul"; courage)

Don't confuse this spiro-, with another spiro- meaning "coil, twisted".

antiperspirant (s) (noun), antiperspirants (pl)
aquatic respiration (s) (noun), aquatic respirations (pl)
A reference to the process whereby an aquatic animal obtains oxygen from the surrounding water.
aspirant (s) (noun), aspirants (pl)
aspirate (s) (noun), aspirates (pl)
aspirate (verb), aspirates; aspirated; aspirating
aspiration (s) (noun), aspirations (pl)
1. A strong desire, longing, or aim; an ambition: Mary's studies indicate her intellectual aspirations.
2. A goal or objective desired: The sixteen-year old girl has had aspirations to be a professional golfer ever since she was four-years old.
An ambition or strong wish or desire.
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aspirational (adjective), more aspirational, most aspirational
aspirator (s) (noun), aspirators (pl)
aspiratory (adjective), more aspiratory, most aspiratory
aspire (verb), aspires; aspired, aspiring
1. To hope or to work towards a profession or an occupation: Jason is aspiring to become a journalist so he is taking related university courses and working for a local newspaper as an apprentice.
2. Etymology: from late Middle English and French aspirer; or Latin aspirare, from ad, "to" + spirare, "to breathe".
To greatly desire to achieve something.
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aspiringly (adverb), more aspiringly, most aspiringly
1. A description of someone having a great ambition or an ultimate goal; desiring strongly.
2. A reference to those striving toward an end; such as, aspiring to great knowledge.
bel esprit, bel-esprit (s) (noun); beaux esprits (pl)
An intelligent, witty, and cultured person: The librarian was always glad when he had a chance to talk with the woman who was so friendly and a special bel esprit.
Someone with a gifted and fine mind.
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Biometrics: Perspiring Fingers
New biometrics program looks for perspiration to authenticate real-living fingers.
conspiracy (s) (noun), conspiracies (pl)
1. A secret agreement between two or more people to perform an unlawful act: The brothers were accused of being involved in a conspiracy to rob the local bank.

The assassination of Julius Caesar was the result of a conspiracy by approximately forty Roman senators led by Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus.

In order to obtain a lot of money, the two employees agreed to a conspiracy to defraud the bank of millions of dollars.
2. A secret plan, a plot, or an agreement to carry out an illegal or harmful act, especially with a political objective: A group of students planned a conspiracy to get rid of the mayor of the local community because they considered him to be too corrupt.

An evil, unlawful, and treacherous or hidden plan.
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conspiration (noun), conspirations (pl)
1. A joint effort directed toward a goal, an objective, or a purpose.
2. A joint action of working in secret to obtain some goal, or objective, or to achieve some outcome.

Word units related to breath and breathe: hal-; pneo-; pneumato-; pneumo-; psych-.