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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

2 entries under this word

Expire

Ex-pīre', v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. EXPIRED; p. pr. & vb. n. EXPIRING.] [Lat. expirare, exspirare, from ex, out of, from, and spirare, to breathe; Fr. expirer, Pr., Sp., & Pg. espirar, It. espirare, spirare.] 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 chaffed 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 or warm vapor; plants expire odors. The expiring of cold out of the inward parts of the earth in winter. Bacon.

  1. To bring forth; to bring to light. [Obs.]
  2. To bring to a close; to terminate. [Obs.]

Expire the term Of a despised life. Shak.

Ex-pire′, v. i.

verbintransitive

v. i. 1. To emit the breath, especially, to emit the last breath; to breathe out the life; to die; as, to expire calmly; to expire in agony.

Sense 2. To come to an end; to cease; to terminate; to perish; to become extinct.

He knew his power not yet expired. Milton.

Sense 3. To be given forth; to come out; to fly out. [Obs.] “The ponderous ball expires.” Dryden.