From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrespiratorres‧pi‧ra‧tor /ˈrespəreɪtə $ -ər/ noun [countable] 1 a piece of equipment that pumps air in and out of someone’s lungs if they are too ill or weak to breathe SYN ventilator The baby was immediately put on a respirator.2 TMa piece of equipment that you wear over your nose and mouth to help you breathe in a place where there is harmful gas, smoke etc → gas mask
Examples from the Corpus
respirator• One boy, who was shot three times, had emergency surgery and was on a respirator.• But many disbelieving locals have stayed behind, even as technicians in plastic suits and respirators swarm over the town.• She had two extra respirators at home in case the one Alvin was using failed.• At a recent show a motorised respirator was retailing at between £280 and £300.• The brighter light reflected on his glass eyepieces, gleamed on the moulded side muzzle of the respirator.• Dad shouted orders as he secured the respirator and began pumping it.• We liked to return them to the respirator before they were desperate. 