What does respirator mean?
A respirator is a device that protects a person by filtering harmful dust, particles, gases, or other contaminants from inhaled air, usually through a component fitted over the nose and mouth. In medical settings, respirator can also refer more broadly to equipment that supports a patient's breathing. The word is especially associated with occupational safety, healthcare, and public-health precautions, where respirators differ from ordinary cloth or surgical masks by providing a specified level of filtration and a close, often tested fit. It is a precise technical term rather than a general synonym for any face covering. Outside specialist contexts, the intended sense is usually the protective device, and the type of protection should be stated when accuracy matters. Recognising that distinction is useful: a respirator primarily concerns what a wearer inhales, while a ventilator is principally a machine that mechanically moves air into and out of the lungs.
nounA device worn over the nose and mouth to filter harmful substances from inhaled air or to supply breathable air; in medical usage, equipment that supports or substitutes for a person's own breathing.
- A protective device, usually fitted over the nose and mouth, that filters dust, particles, gases, or other harmful substances from inhaled air.
- A device or system used in medicine to deliver breathable gas and support or replace a patient's own breathing.
"The construction worker wore a respirator while cutting insulation that released harmful dust."
"The nurse checked the respirator's seal before entering the isolation room."
"The intensive-care team adjusted the respirator to support the patient's breathing."
The plural is used for individual devices or collectively for multiple pieces of protective or medical breathing equipment.
"The workers replaced their respirators whenever the filters became clogged."
Its name contains a tiny instruction to breathe again: Latin re- and spirare, “to breathe.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does respirator come from?
The English noun was borrowed in the early 19th century from French respirateur, which was derived from Latin respirare. Latin respirare combines re- and spirare, “to breathe”; from this root English also developed respire, respiration, and respiratory. The word came to denote both equipment for assisting breathing and devices worn to protect the user from airborne hazards.
Related word forms
How respirator is actually used
The term is formal and technical. In occupational safety and public health, it denotes a device with a specified protective performance rather than any ordinary face covering; the precise type or standard should be named when necessary.
Easily confused with respirator
A respirator primarily filters or supplies air for its wearer, whereas a ventilator is a medical machine that mechanically moves air into and out of a patient's lungs.