A Word A Day — transpire
Good evening Netizens…
- DEFINITION
verb
- EXAMPLES
The police are still trying to determine what really
transpired
on the night of the accident.
“The Battle of Lexington Green
transpired
this morning as it always does. The British regulars advanced, a lopsided battle broke out, eight Minutemen died, the British marched on — and thousands of spectators, their heads full of history, headed to pancake breakfasts at surrounding churches.” — From an article by Joshua Miller in
The Boston Globe
, April 15, 2013
- DID YOU KNOW?
“Transpire” came to life in the late 16th century and was originally used in technical contexts to describe the passage of vapor through the pores of a membrane. From this technical use developed a figurative sense: “to escape from secrecy,” or “to become known.” That sense was often used in ambiguous contexts and could be taken to mean “happen.” (For example, Emily Dickinson wrote in a letter, “I long to see you once more … to tell you of many things which have transpired since we parted.”) Thus the “to take place” sense developed. Around 1870, usage critics began to attack this sense as a misuse, and modern critics occasionally echo that sentiment. But the sense has been common for two centuries and today is found in serious and polished prose.
Read more at http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/2013/04/22/#2e7tBdDI1c5yP4xi.99
* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "Community Comment." Read all stories from this blog