inspiration

Etymology

From Middle English inspiracioun, from Old French inspiration, from Late Latin īnspīrātiōnem (nominative: īnspīrātiō), from Latin īnspīrātus (past participle of inspīrō). Morphologically inspire + -ation. Displaced native Old English onbryrdnes (literally “in-pricked-ness”).

noun

1. (physiology, uncountable) The drawing of air into the lungs, accomplished in mammals by elevation of the chest walls and flattening of the diaphragm, as part of the act of respiration.
   The respiratory movements are no longer normal and rhythmic acts of inspiration and exspiration, but abnormal and irregular expiratory movements 1857, M. Hall [junior] editor, Prone and postival respiration in drowning and other forms of apricea, or suspended respiration
   If a reaction involves increased muscle tonus and too much inspiration, muscle relaxation and exhalation exercises might be of use. 2008, G Berghs, “Stage fright in singers: Three reaction types”, in Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica
2. (countable) A breath, a single inhalation.
   Laughing is produced by an inspiration succeeded by a succession of short imperfect expirations. 1826, John Bostock, An Elementary System of Physiology, page 220
   One of them had a temperature of 40° cent. 104° Fahr. and 97 inspirations per minute. 1838, Thomas Hodgkin, Dr. Fisher, On the influence of physical agents on life, translation of original by William Frédéric Edwards, Pouillet (Claude Servais Mathias, M.), and Luke Howard
   On physical examination, blood pressure was 145/70 mm Hg, pulse was 108 beats per minute, respiratory rate was 36 inspirations per minute, body temperature was 38 ºC and her oxygen saturation (during nasal oxygen intake) was 93%. 2013, A Kose, C Yildirim, B Kose, N Gunay, …, “Can agricultural drugs be used against lice? Accident, suicide or truth? Case presentations”, in Eastern Journal of Medicine
3. A supernatural divine influence on the prophets, apostles, or sacred writers, by which they were qualified to communicate moral or religious truth with authority; a supernatural influence which qualifies people to receive and communicate divine truth; also, the truth communicated.
   The question, therefore, at issue is, not whether those external means be sufficient without grace and divine inspiration, for none pretends that": but, in order to hinder men from feigning or imagining an inspiration, whether it has not been God's economy, and his usual conduct to make his inspiration walk hand in hand with certain means of fact, which men can neither feign in the air without being convicted of falsehood, nor imagine without illusion. 1688, Jacques Bénigne Bossuet, The History of the Variations of the Protestant Churches Vol.2 (1829 translation), p. 355
   The more strongly people felt about their ideas, the more potent the demons seemed to them: Christians believed that traditional paganism, far from being the work of men, was an 'opium of the masses', pumped into the human race by the non-human demons; and one scholar even ascribed bad reviews of his book to demonic inspiration! 1971, Peter Brown, The World of Late Antiquity: AD 150—750, Thames & Hudson LTD, published 2013, page 54
4. The act of an elevating or stimulating influence upon the intellect, emotions or creativity.
   She was waiting for inspiration to write a book.
   Usage notes: In this sense, it may be followed by the adposition to in relation to the person being influenced, and for or to in relation to the idea or activity:
   We caught the inspiration of his joy; and imagination painted a glorious future near at hand for our land, quickly to develop itself under the guidance of his fostering wisdom, and fraternal counsels and care. 1865, George Duffield, The Nation's Wail, page 6
   All this suggests that Andrea may, like the authors of the devotional panel, the fresco, and the print – and like Leonardo, as we shall see – have found his inspiration in Pollaiuolo. 1998, David Allen Brown, Leonardo da Vinci: Origins of a Genius, page 25
   And now it is time for problem solving which, if successful, will create new ideas serving as an inspiration source for future research objects of the researcher in question as well as other researchers within the same field. 2002, Sven Rasegård, Man and Science: A Web of Systems and Social Conventions, page 2
   As for United, this was a performance lacking in inspiration, purpose and threat and once again underlined the urgency for transfer business to be done in the closing hours of the transfer window. 1 September 2013, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 1-0 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport
5. A person, object, or situation which quickens or stimulates an influence upon the intellect, emotions or creativity.
   The trip was an inspiration to her for writing a book.
   The people of Ukraine and Georgia are an inspiration to the world, and I was pleased that this week NATO declared that Ukraine and Georgia will become members of NATO. April 5 2008, George W. Bush, Presidential Radio Address
6. A new idea, especially one which arises suddenly and is clever or creative.
   Mrs. Balfame had an inspiration. "My God!" she exclaimed, springing to her feet, "the murderer . . . was hidden in the cellar or attic all night, all the next day! He may be here yet!" 1916, Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton, chapter 15, in Mrs. Balfame
   [H]e accompanied her to a rehearsal of a skit satirizing “Casablanca,” and the director had an inspiration: Wouldn’t it be a laugh to cast a 10-year-old as Rick? July 1 2007, Sylviane Gold, “Scenery Chewer Plays It Straight, Methodically”, in New York Times, retrieved 2013-09-03