1. (n.) The act of inspiring or breathing in; breath; specif. (Physiol.), the drawing of air into the lungs, accomplished in mammals by elevation of the chest walls and flattening of the diaphragm; -- the opposite of expiration.

2. (n.) The act or power of exercising an elevating or stimulating influence upon the intellect or emotions; the result of such influence which quickens or stimulates; as, the inspiration of occasion, of art, etc.

3. (n.) 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 men to receive and communicate divine truth; also, the truth communicated.

Apollo Apollo Musagetes Aqua-Lung Bragi Calliope Castilian Spring Clio Erato Euterpe Geist Helicon Hippocrene Melpomene Muse Parnassus Pierian Spring Pierides Polyhymnia Terpsichore Thalia a priori knowledge afflatus air current ambition animating spirit animation animus anticipation apocalypse ardor arousal artificial respiration artistic imagination aspiration assurance asthmatic wheeze automatic response awakening basis blind impulse brain wave brainchild brainstorm brainwave breath breath of air breathing bright idea bright thought brilliant idea broken wind buddhi calling cause clairvoyance conception consideration cough creative imagination creative power creative thought creativity crosscurrent current current of air daemon daimonion demon direct apprehension direct communication divine afflatus divine inspiration divine revelation downdraft draft drive ebullience education elan emboldening encouragement energy enlightenment enlivenment enthusiasm epiphany esemplastic imagination esemplastic power exhalation exhilaration expiration exsufflation fall wind fancy feeling fire fire of genius firing flash fleeting impulse flow of air following wind gasp genius goal good idea ground guide guiding light guiding star gulp gusto gut response hack head wind heartening hiccup ideal illumination immediate cognition impulse incentive incitement indraft infection inflow influence infusion inhalation inhalator inhalement inrush insight inspiriting inspiritment instinct insufflation intention intuition intuitionism intuitive reason intuitiveness intuitivism involuntary impulse iron lung jetstream katabatic wind knowledge without thought lodestar mainspring matter monsoon motive mouth-to-mouth resuscitation movement of air moving spirit muse mystical experience mysticism mythicization mythification mythopoeia natural impulse notion oxygen mask oxygen tent pant passion poesy poetic genius poetic imagination precognition principle prophecy provocation puff quick hunch reason reassurance reflex respiration revelation sake satori score scuba second sight second-sightedness shaping imagination sigh sixth sense sneeze sniff sniffle snore snoring snuff snuffle soul source sparkle spirit spring spur sternutation stertor stimulation stimulus stream stream of air subconscious knowledge subconscious perception suck sucking suction sudden thought suggestion suspiration tail wind talent the Muses theophania theophany theopneustia theopneusty ulterior motive undercurrent unmediated perception updraft urge vigor vision vocation wheeze wind zeal