Word of the Day:

February 22, 2022

transpire

verb tran-SPYRE

What it Means

Transpire means "to happen" or "to become known."

// The police are still trying to determine what transpired on the night of the accident.

// After the business magnate was arrested for financial-related crimes, it transpired that he has been in insurmountable debt for years.

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Transpire in Context

"Talk of the benefits of a four-day work week have circulated for years. … Now, it transpires that a six-month trial of a four-day working week is going to be launched in the UK." — Olivia Petter, The Independent (United Kingdom), 17 Jan. 2022

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Did You Know?

Transpire (based on Latin spirare, meaning "to breathe") was originally used technically to describe the passage of vapor through the pores of a membrane (such as the skin). From this use developed the figurative sense: "to escape from secrecy" or "to become known." That sense was used in ambiguous contexts and often meant "to happen" or "to take place."

Quiz

Fill in the blanks to complete a verb meaning "to show (something) clearly": m _ _ _ f _ _ t.

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