transpire

[ tran-spahyuhr ]
See synonyms for: transpiretranspired on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),tran·spired, tran·spir·ing.
  1. to occur; happen; take place.

  2. to emit or give off waste matter, watery vapor, etc., through the surface, as of the body or of leaves.

  1. to escape, as moisture or odor, through or as if through pores.

  2. to be revealed or become known.

verb (used with object),tran·spired, tran·spir·ing.
  1. to emit or give off (waste matter, watery vapor, an odor, etc.) through the surface, as of the body or of leaves.

Origin of transpire

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Middle French transpirer, from Medieval Latin trānspīrāre, equivalent to Latin trāns- trans- + spīrāre “to breathe”

word story For 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, adjective
  • tran·spir·a·to·ry [tran-spahyr-uh-tawr-ee], /trænˈspaɪr əˌtɔr i/, adjective
  • un·tran·spir·ing, adjective

Words that may be confused with transpire

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use transpire in a sentence

  • And that is precisely what is transpiring today, as Bibi lets it be known that he is holding back the settlement surge.

  • Walter, as he paced up and down the pavement outside, would have given much to know what was transpiring within.

    The Doctor of Pimlico | William Le Queux
  • But while this was transpiring on the left there was a terrible sacrifice of life at the foot of Maryee's Hill.

    The Boys of '61 | Charles Carleton Coffin.
  • Before entering upon the narrative of my own observations, let us take a look at events transpiring in the city on Sunday.

    The Boys of '61 | Charles Carleton Coffin.
  • Thus the night passed away without anything transpiring, and at last the longed-for dawn appeared.

    The Norsemen in the West | R.M. Ballantyne
  • When this age closes with the great predicted events transpiring, the Spirit of God has finished the work for which He came.

    The Prophet Ezekiel | Arno C. Gaebelein

British Dictionary definitions for transpire

transpire

/ (trænˈspaɪə) /


verb
  1. (intr) to come to light; be known

  2. (intr) informal to happen or occur

  1. physiol to give off or exhale (water or vapour) through the skin, a mucous membrane, etc

  2. (of plants) to lose (water in the form of water vapour), esp through the stomata of the leaves

Origin of transpire

1
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

Derived forms of transpire

  • transpirable, adjective
  • transpiration (ˌtrænspəˈreɪʃən), noun
  • transpiratory, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012