perspire
UK[pəˈspaɪə(r)]US[pərˈspaɪər]
v
(of a person) to produce sweat through the skin
v
(of a substance) to give off moisture through small openings
Morpheme Breakdown
per
spire
per
through
spire
breathe
Etymology
the word 'perspire' entered english in the mid-17th century from latin 'perspirare', meaning "to breathe through." it is composed of the intensive prefix 'per-' ("through") and the verb 'spirare' ("to breathe"). this literal sense of "breathing through" was applied metaphorically to the skin, which was thought to exhale invisible vapors. over time, this scientific theory solidified into the modern, specific meaning of emitting sweat or moisture through the pores.
Analysis
Structure: per (through) + spire (breathe)
per (latin origin, meaning "through, thoroughly"); spire (latin origin, from 'spirare', meaning "to breathe")
Examples
i began to perspire heavily after running for twenty minutes.
the walls of the cave seemed to perspire in the damp air.
it's normal to perspire when you're nervous.