respirator
respirator — noun
- respiratorsingular
- respiratorsplural
1. a machine that takes over the work of breathing for a person whose lungs cannot
a machine that takes over the work of breathing for a person whose lungs cannot do it on their own, used in hospitals for patients with serious breathing problems.
The doctors put Lotte on a respirator when her lungs could not work by themselves.
put [someone] on a respirator — typical collocation
After the car accident, Diego was connected to a respirator for several days.
passive: was connected to a respirator
The hospital respirator made a soft pumping sound as it helped the patient breathe.
Bilal's mother was slowly taken off the respirator once her breathing improved.
The nurse checked the respirator tubes every two hours for signs of blockage.
- ventilator
more common term in UK and in general hospital usage for the same machine
- breathing machine
informal, everyday language used by patients and families
- life-support machine
broader term that includes a respirator plus additional monitoring equipment
用法筆記
Commonly paired with connect to, put on, take off, and be on. In everyday British English, ventilator is more frequent for this sense; respirator is the preferred term in American medical contexts.
常見錯誤
2. a device that fits over the lower part of your face and uses a filter to trap ha
a device that fits over the lower part of your face and uses a filter to trap harmful dust, smoke, chemicals, or germs before they reach your lungs.
Construction workers must wear a respirator when cutting stone to avoid breathing in dangerous dust.
wear a respirator + purpose clause
Wei put on a respirator before entering the smoke-filled building to look for survivors.
During the pandemic, hospitals ran dangerously short of N95 respirators for their staff.
The painter wore a respirator inside the small room because the chemical fumes were strong.
Padma bought a box of respirators at the hardware store for her woodworking projects.
- breathing mask
everyday term, less technical than respirator
- filter mask
focuses on the filtering function
- N95 mask
a specific type of respirator that filters 95 % of airborne particles
用法筆記
Unlike the medical sense, this kind of respirator is a simple device with a filter that the user wears. Do not confuse with surgical masks, which protect others from the wearer but do not filter the air the wearer breathes in.