transpire
[ tran-spahyuhr ]
/ trænˈspaɪər /
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verb (used without object), tran·spired, tran·spir·ing.
to occur; happen; take place.
to emit or give off waste matter, watery vapor, etc., through the surface, as of the body or of leaves.
to escape, as moisture or odor, through or as if through pores.
to be revealed or become known.
verb (used with object), tran·spired, tran·spir·ing.
to emit or give off (waste matter, watery vapor, an odor, etc.) through the surface, as of the body or of leaves.
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Origin of transpire
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Middle French transpirer, from Medieval Latin trānspīrāre, equivalent to Latin trāns- trans- + spīrāre “to breathe”
historical usage of transpire
1. From its earlier literal sense “to escape as vapor” transpire came to mean “to escape from concealment, become known” in the 18th century. Somewhat later, it developed the meaning “to occur, happen,” a sentence such as He was not aware of what had transpired yesterday being taken to mean He was not aware of what had happened yesterday. In spite of two centuries of use in all varieties of speech and writing, this now common meaning is still objected to by some on the grounds that it arose from a misapprehension of the word's true meaning.
OTHER WORDS FROM transpire
tran·spir·a·ble, adjectivetran·spir·a·to·ry [tran-spahyr-uh-tawr-ee], /trænˈspaɪr əˌtɔr i/, adjectiveun·tran·spir·ing, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use transpire in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for transpire
transpire
/ (trænˈspaɪə) /
verb
(intr) to come to light; be known
(intr) informal to happen or occur
physiol to give off or exhale (water or vapour) through the skin, a mucous membrane, etc
(of plants) to lose (water in the form of water vapour), esp through the stomata of the leaves
Derived forms of transpire
transpirable, adjectivetranspiration (ˌtrænspəˈreɪʃən), nountranspiratory, adjectiveWord Origin for transpire
C16: from Medieval Latin transpīrāre, from Latin trans- + spīrāre to breathe
usage for transpire
It is often maintained that transpire should not be used to mean happen or occur, as in the event transpired late in the evening, and that the word is properly used to mean become known, as in it transpired later that the thief had been caught . The word is, however, widely used in the former sense, esp in spoken English
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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