Perspire

Perspire

Verb · /pəˈspaɪə/ · to sweat; to excrete moisture through the skin

Definition

A formal or polite word for sweating — the body's natural process of releasing moisture through the pores to cool itself down. Perspire is the genteel version; sweat is the blunt one. In older etiquette guides: horses sweat, men perspire, ladies glow. The word can also be used figuratively to mean working very hard or being under pressure.

Origin

From Latin perspirare — per (through) + spirare (to breathe). Originally it meant to breathe through, referring to the invisible emission of vapour from the skin. In the 17th century it acquired its modern meaning of visible sweating. The euphemistic quality — preferring perspire over sweat — became established in 18th-century polite society.