transpire

transpire [tran-spahyuh r] Word Origin 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.
3. to escape, as moisture or odor, through or as if through pores.
4. to be revealed or become known.

verb (used with object), tran·spired, tran·spir·ing.

5. 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 1590–1600; Middle French transpirer Medieval Latin trānspīrāre, equivalent to Latin trāns- trans- + spīrāre to breatheRelated formstran·spir·a·ble, adjectivetran·spir·a·to·ry [tran-spahyr-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] /trænˈspaɪr əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, adjectiveun·tran·spired, adjectiveun·tran·spir·ing, adjectiveCan be confusedevanesce evaporate liquefy melt thaw transpire vaporizeUsage 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 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. British Dictionary definitions for transpirable transpire verb

1. (intr) to come to light; be known
2. (intr) informal to happen or occur
3. physiol to give off or exhale (water or vapour) through the skin, a mucous membrane, etc
4. (of plants) to lose (water in the form of water vapour), esp through the stomata of the leaves

Derived Formstranspirable, adjectivetranspiration (ˌtrænspəˈreɪʃən), nountranspiratory, adjectiveWord Origin for transpire C16: from Medieval Latin transpīrāre, from Latin trans- + spīrāre to breatheusage 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 Word Origin and History for transpirable transpire v.

1590s, “pass off in the form of a vapor or liquid,” from Middle French transpirer (mid-16c.), from Latin trans- “through” (see trans-) + spirare “to breathe” (see spirit). Figurative sense of “leak out, become known” is recorded from 1741, and the erroneous meaning “take place, happen” is almost as old, being first recorded 1755. Related: Transpired; transpiring.