30 September 2014

transpire

[tran-spahyuh r]

verb (used without object), transpired, transpiring.

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.
3. to escape, as moisture or odor, through or as if through pores.
4. to be revealed or become known.
verb (used with object), transpired, transpiring.
5. to emit or give off (waste matter, watery vapor, an odor, etc.) through the surface, as of the body or of leaves.

Origin
Middle French, Medieval Latin
1590-1600; < Middle French transpirer < Medieval Latin trānspīrāre, equivalent to Latin trāns- trans- + spīrāre to breathe

Related forms

transpirable, adjective
transpiratory [tran-spahyr-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee], adjective
untranspired, adjective
untranspiring, adjective

Can be confused

evanesce, evaporate, liquefy, melt, thaw, transpire, vaporize.

Usage note

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 yesterdaybeing 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.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the web for transpire

– Gamblers can also for the first time wager on the outcomes of events as the events transpire.
– Often they transpire in hot weather, and everyone’s sweating even before the first of too many official welcomes.
– Obviously, no great change will transpire because of a single speech.

Anagram

a sprinter
earn trips
ranter sip
rare pints

Today’s aphorism

Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.

– William Butler Yeats

On this day

30 September 1947 – birth of Marc Bolan, singer/guitarist for T-Rex. (Born as Mark Feld). Died 16 September 1977.