verb (used with object), tran·scribed, tran·scrib·ing.
- to make a written copy, especially a typewritten copy, of (dictated material, notes taken during a lecture, or other spoken material).
- to make an exact copy of (a document, text, etc.).
- to write out in another language or alphabet; translate or transliterate: to transcribe Chinese into English characters.
- Phonetics. to represent (speech sounds) in written phonetic or phonemic symbols.
- Radio. to make a recording of (a program, announcement, etc.) for broadcasting.
- Music. to arrange (a composition) for a medium other than that for which it was originally written.
- Genetics. to effect genetic transcription of (a DNA molecule template).
verb (tr)
- to write, type, or print out fully from speech, notes, etc
- to make a phonetic transcription of
- to transliterate or translate
- to make an electrical recording of (a programme or speech) for a later broadcast
- music to rewrite (a piece of music) for an instrument or medium other than that originally intended; arrange
- computing
- to transfer (information) from one storage device, such as punched cards, to another, such as magnetic tape
- to transfer (information) from a computer to an external storage device
- (usually passive) biochem to convert the genetic information in (a strand of DNA) into a strand of RNA, esp messenger RNASee also genetic code, translate (def. 6)
1550s, from Latin transcribere “to copy, write again in another place, write over, transfer,” from trans- “over” (see trans-) + scribere “write” (see script (n.)). To do it poorly is to transcribble (1746). Related: Transcribed; transcribing.