Ma'anar ƙamus na jimlar "kame numfashi" shine a dakata na ɗan lokaci don hutawa da yin ɗan zurfin numfashi don murmurewa daga motsa jiki na jiki ko firgita. Hakanan yana iya nufin dakatar da magana a taƙaice ko kuma a huta don yin waƙa kafin a ci gaba.
