Inhalation was the process of breathing in, or taking air into the lungs.
In 2364, the captain of the USS Lalo referred to a time distortion as a hiccup. Data defined it as "a spasmodic inhalation with closure of the glottis, accompanied by a peculiar sound". He further mentioned that he considered it to be an incorrect analogy, saying, "If we were to continue this analogy to a body function, what occurred would be best represented by a – ", but then Picard cut him off before he could finish. (TNG: "We'll Always Have Paris")