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V2 Vocabulary Building Dictionary


transpire

verb

Definition: 1. to come about or to happen; 2. to become known; 3. to give off water vapor

Synonyms: occur, arise, emerge, happen, take place, become known, leak, evaporate

Antonyms: conceal, hide, halt

Tips: Transpire is derived from the Latin trans, "through" and spirare, "to breathe." Transpire originally held only the meaning "to pass or give off vapor." Eventually, the word also took on the sense of "leak out (information)" and then "come about." Although the meaning "come about" is considered pretentious and erroneous to many usage experts, it is the most widely used sense of the word. The technically correct way to use transpire is to describe something transitioning from secrecy to knowledge: (e.g. "No one knows exactly when the spy's identity transpired and his cover was blown.")

Usage Examples:

Officials refused to speculate as to what might transpire once the war is over. (happen, occur, take place)

It transpired that the radical instructor had never even attended college. (became known, was leaked)

During the summer, plants transpire at a faster rate, so they need to be watered more often. (give off water vapor)

I wasn't aware of what transpired between them, but I knew they were upset with each other. (happened, took place)


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