Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Expire

Ex-pire′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Expired
;
p. pr & vb. n.
Expiring
.]
[L.
expirare
,
exspirare
,
expiratum
,
exspiratum
;
ex
out +
spirare
to breathe: cf. F.
expirer
. See
Spirit
.]
1.
To breathe out; to emit from the lungs; to throw out from the mouth or nostrils in the process of respiration; – opposed to
inspire
.
Anatomy exhibits the lungs in a continual motion of inspiring and
expiring
air.
Harvey.
This chafed the boar; his nostrils flames
expire
.
Dryden.
2.
To give forth insensibly or gently, as a fluid or vapor; to emit in minute particles; to exhale;
as, the earth
expires
a damp vapor; plants
expire
odors.
The
expiring
of cold out of the inward parts of the earth in winter.
Bacon.
3.
To emit; to give out.
[Obs.]
Dryden.
4.
To bring to a close; to terminate.
[Obs.]
Expire
the term
Of a despised life.
Shakespeare

Ex-pire′

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To emit the breath.
2.
To emit the last breath; to breathe out the life; to die;
as, to
expire
calmly; to
expire
in agony.
3.
To come to an end; to cease; to terminate; to perish; to become extinct;
as, the flame
expired
; his lease
expires
to-day; the month
expired
on Saturday.
4.
To burst forth; to fly out with a blast.
[Obs.]
“The ponderous ball expires.”
Dryden.

Webster 1828 Edition


Expire

EXPI'RE

,
Verb.
T.
[L. expiro, for exspiro; ex and spiro, to breathe.]
1.
To breathe out; to throw out the breath from the lungs; opposed to inspire. We expire air at every breath.
2.
To exhale; to emit in minute particles, as a fluid or volatile matter. The earth expires a damp or warm vapor; the body expires fluid matter from the pores; plants expire odors.
3.
To conclude.

EXPI'RE

,
Verb.
I.
To emit the last breath, as an animal; to die; to breathe the last.
1.
To perish; to end; to fail or be destroyed; to come to nothing; to be frustrated.
With the loss of battle all his hopes of empire expired.
2.
To fly out; to be thrown out with force. [Unusual.]
The ponderous ball expires.
3.
To come to an end; to cease; to terminate; to close or conclude,as a given period. A lease will expire on the first of May. The year expires on Monday. The contract will expire at Michaelmas. The days had not expired.
When forty years had expired. Act 7.

Definition 2024


expire

expire

See also: expiré

English

Verb

expire (third-person singular simple present expires, present participle expiring, simple past and past participle expired)

  1. (intransitive) to die
    The patient expired in hospital.
  2. (intransitive) to become invalid
    My library card will expire next week.
  3. (intransitive) to exhale; to breathe (out).
    • Harvey
      Anatomy exhibits the lungs in a continual motion of inspiring and expiring air.
    • Dryden
      This chafed the boar; his nostrils flames expire.
  4. (transitive) to exhale (something).
    • 1843, Loring Dudley Chapin
      Animals expire carbon and plants inspire it; plants expire oxygen and animals inspire it.
  5. (transitive) To give forth insensibly or gently, as a fluid or vapour; to emit in minute particles.
    • Francis Bacon
      the expiring of cold out of the inward parts of the earth in winter
  6. (transitive) To bring to a close; to terminate.
    • Shakespeare
      Expire the term / Of a despised life.

Synonyms

  • (to die): See also Wikisaurus:die

Antonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams


French

Verb

expire

  1. first-person singular present indicative of expirer
  2. third-person singular present indicative of expirer
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of expirer
  4. third-person singular present subjunctive of expirer
  5. second-person singular imperative of expirer

Anagrams


Portuguese

Verb

expire

  1. first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of expirar
  2. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of expirar
  3. third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of expirar
  4. third-person singular (você) negative imperative of expirar

Spanish

Verb

expire

  1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of expirar.
  2. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of expirar.
  3. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of expirar.