inspiration

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity.
2. n. The condition of being so stimulated.
3. n. An agency, such as a person or work of art, that moves the intellect or emotions or prompts action or invention.
4. n. Something, such as a sudden creative act or idea, that is inspired.
5. n. The quality of inspiring or exalting: a painting full of inspiration.
6. n. Divine guidance or influence exerted directly on the mind and soul of humankind.
7. n. The act of drawing in, especially the inhalation of air into the lungs.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The act of inspiring or breathing in; a drawing into the lungs, as of air; inhalation; the first movement in the act of respiration, followed by expiration.
2. n. A breathing or infusion into the mind or soul; an awakening or creation of thought, purpose, or any mental condition, by some specific external influence; intellectual exaltation; an inexplicable cognition, as the knowledge of an axiom, according to a priori philosophers.
3. n. In theology, an influence directly and immediately exerted by the Spirit of God upon the soul of man: in Christian theology, used especially with reference to the Old and New Testaments, regarded as written under the direct influence of God exercised upon the thoughts and feelings of the writers. ; This doctrine of the inspiration of the Scriptures has been maintained in various forms, and with various definitions of the nature and extent of the divine influence, the principal being the following: verbal inspiration, the immediate communication or dictation to the writers of every word written;
4. n. The state or condition of being inspired; determination or purpose excited by a specific external influence; communicated bent of mind.
5. n. That which is impressed by an inspiring influence; a thought or an emotion borne in upon one by an occult prompting or impulse.

Wiktionary

1. n. The act of inspiring or breathing in.
2. n. breath
3. n. physiology The drawing of air into the lungs, accomplished in mammals by elevation of the chest walls and flattening of the diaphragm.
4. 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.
5. 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.

GNU Webster's 1913

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
3. n. (Theol.) 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.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a sudden intuition as part of solving a problem
2. n. (theology) a special influence of a divinity on the minds of human beings
3. n. the act of inhaling; the drawing in of air (or other gases) as in breathing
4. n. arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity
5. n. arousing to a particular emotion or action
6. n. a product of your creative thinking and work