Puzzle #434 · August 9, 2026
bated breath
Featured
Fossil Word
Shakespeare
Every day one two-word expression or compound word used in American English.
Shakespeare Origins
coined by Shakespeare in Merchant of Venice
Shall I bend low, and in a bondman's key, With bated breath and whisp'ring humbleness,
Fossil Word
Signifies holding one’s breath in anticipation, suspense, or fear. Bated is a fossil word as it never appears without breath coming right after it.
Puzzle Appearances
The expression bated breath has appeared in 1 puzzle:
- Puzzle #434 on August 9, 2026
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print
Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.
Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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The Wordcels Puzzle
Think you've mastered Americanisms? The two-word phrases, compound words and idiomatic expressions of American English? Each day the Wordcels Puzzle provides 15 words that must be arranged to form 16 expressions. Give it a try.
