a. [ad. L. suspīriōsus, f. suspīrium deep breathing, sigh, shortness of breath, SUSPIRE sb. Cf. F. suspirieux.]
1. Breathing with difficulty or painfully; chiefly Path. (see quot. 1896).
1657. Tomlinson, Renous Disp., I. IV. lx. 329. Their [sc. hyssops] faculties benefit the suspirious and orthopnoical.
1657. Physical Dict., Suspirious, broken winded.
1859. Mayne, Expos. Lex., Suspirious, breathing painfully.
1876. Bristowe, Theory & Pract. Med. (1878), 203. Respiration is then generally slow and suspirious.
1896. Allbutts Syst. Med., I. 665. The respiration becomes embarrassed and suspirious; marked, that is, by a slow laboured inspiration followed by a quick expiration and a long pause.
2. Full of sighs, sighing.
1751. Hist. Pompey the Little, 96. When the company had enjoyed enough of this spiritual and suspirious conversation, they proceeded in the last place to singing of psalms.
1809. Syd. Smith, Methodism, Wks. (1850), 138/1. To estimate what the exertions of the lachrymal and suspirious clergy would be.
1820. H. Matthews, Diary Invalid (ed. 2), 223. A suspirious, lacrymose, while-handkerchief business.