breather vs respite

breather and respite both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
breather	Yes	No	No	No
respite	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, respite is a hypernym of breather; that is, respite is a word with a broader meaning than breather:

Other hypernyms of breather include relief, rest, rest period.

breather (noun)	respite (noun)
air passage provided by a retractable device containing intake and exhaust pipes; permits a submarine to stay submerged for extended periods of time	a pause from doing something (as work)
a short respite	the act of reprieving; postponing or remitting punishment
	an interruption in the intensity or amount of something
	a (temporary) relief from harm or discomfort
	a pause for relaxation

breather (verb)	respite (verb)
	postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal, such as an execution