Dictionary
transpire
verb tran·spire \tran(t)-ˈspī(-ə)r\
: to happen
: to become known
of a plant : to have water evaporate from the surface of leaves
tran·spiredtran·spir·ing
Full Definition of TRANSPIRE
transitive verb
: to pass off or give passage to (a fluid) through pores or interstices; especially : to excrete (as water) in the form of a vapor through a living membrane (as the skin)
intransitive verb
1
: to give off vaporous material; specifically : to give off or exude watery vapor especially from the surfaces of leaves
2
: to pass in the form of a vapor from a living body
3
a : to be revealed : come to light b : to become known or apparent : develop
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Usage Discussion of TRANSPIRE
Sense 4 of transpire is the frequent whipping boy of those who suppose sense 3 to be the only meaning of the word. Sense 4 appears to have developed in the late 18th century; it was well enough known to have been used by Abigail Adams in a letter to her husband in 1775 <there is nothing new transpired since I wrote you last — Abigail Adams>. Noah Webster recognized the new sense in his dictionary of 1828. Transpire was evidently a popular word with 19th century journalists; sense 4 turns up in such pretentiously worded statements as “The police drill will transpire under shelter to-day in consequence of the moist atmosphere prevailing.” Around 1870 the sense began to be attacked as a misuse on the grounds of etymology, and modern critics echo the damnation of 1870. Sense 4 has been in existence for about two centuries; it is firmly established as standard; it occurs now primarily in serious prose, not the ostentatiously flamboyant prose typical of 19th century journalism.
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Origin of TRANSPIRE
Middle French transpirer, from Medieval Latin transpirare, from Latin trans- + spirare to breathe
First Known Use: 1597
Related to TRANSPIRE
Rhymes with TRANSPIRE
TRANSPIRING Defined for Kids
transpire
verb trans·pire \trans-ˈpīr\
trans·piredtrans·pir·ing
Definition of TRANSPIRE for Kids
1
: to come to pass : happen <Important events transpired that day.>
2
: to become known or apparent <It transpired that they had met before.>
3
: to give off water vapor through openings in the leaves
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