Also 5 expyre, -spyre, 5–7 exspire, (6 expiere, -perie, 7 expayer). [ad. Fr. expirer, ad. L. ex(s)pīrāre to breathe out, f. ex- out + spīrāre to breathe.]
I. To breathe out.
1. trans. To breathe out (air, etc.) from the lungs; also with forth.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. xi. 45. The scorching fire, Which he from hellish entrailes did expire.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Rich. II., ccxcviii. Wee yawne … the same Ayre which wee expired erst.
1695. Woodward, Nat. Hist. Earth, IV. (1723), 236. The Fluid, which is … expired forth along with the Air, goes off in insensible Parcels.
1715–20. Pope, Iliad, VI. 223. Her pitchy nostrils flaky flames expire.
1859. Lewes, Sea-side Stud., 234. In the daytime we expire more carbonic acid than during the night.
1866. Huxley, Physiol., iv. (1872), 81–2. The breath … afterwards … is driven out, or expired.
b. absol. To breathe out air from the lungs.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., IV. xi. 40. Loose when he sucks in aire, contract when he expires.
1653. [see EXPIRING vbl. sb.].
1851. Gosse, Nat. in Jamaica, 4. [The Whales] expired with a rushing sound, the instant the blow-hole was exposed.
† 2. To give off (a perfume, vapor, etc.); to exhale, emit. Of a volcano: To emit, eject (flames, rarely solid substances). Also, To give out under pressure. Obs.
1603. Drayton, Odes, II. 4. Where Altars … Doe od’rous Fumes expire.
1665. G. Harvey, Advice agst. Plague, 29. It [the Earth] purges it seif by expiring those Arsenical fumes.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., I. 205/55.
| And force the Veins of clashing Flints t’ expire | |
| The lurking Seeds of their Cœlestial Fire. |
1727. C. Pitt, Paraphr. Ps. cxliv. The lab’ring hills expire Thick clouds of smoke and deluges of fire. Ibid., I. 636. What Rocks did Ætna’s bellowing Mouth expire from his torn entrails.
1762. Churchill, Ghost, II. Poems I. 205. Ev’ry shrub expires perfume.
1808. J. Barlow, Columb., V. 484. Lighted bombs that fusing trails exspire.
absol. 1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 294. Heat drieth Bodies that do easily expire; as Parchment, Leaves [etc.].
† 3. intr. To pass out in, or like, breath; to be breathed forth or exhaled; hence of the winds, flame, a projectile: To rush forth. Cf. L. expirent igres, Lucr. VI. 640. Obs.
1621. G. Sandys, Ovid’s Met., XV. (1626), 312.
| For furious winds (a storie to admire!) | |
| Pent in blind cauernes, strugling to expire. |
1654. Earl Orrery, Parthenissa (1676), 563. Tell my Princess … my breath expir’d in repeating the fair name of her [etc.].
1666. Dryden, Ann. Mirab., clxxxviii. The linstocks touch, the ponderous ball expires.
1684. R. H., School Recreat. (1696), 30. When the Rocket expires, they take fire and spread into a Flame, hovering in the Air like Stars.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., I. 129/53. Redundant Humours thro’ the Pores expire. Ibid., IV. 254/130. Huge Flakes of Flames expire.
1729. Savage, Wanderer, I. 234. Thro’ the bor’d rock above, the smoke expires.
II. To breathe one’s last breath, die.
† 4. trans. To breathe out (the soul, etc.) in the article of death; also, To expire one’s last. Obs.
[Only a special use of sense 1; but the starting-point of a distinct series of senses.]
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun, 3287. On gude ffriday when crist his sawle on crosse expired.
c. 1477. Caxton, Jason, 84 b. Syn recommanded him to the Goddes and that don expired his lyf.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys, 58 b. Medas … With paynfull hunger his lyfe breth dyd expyre.
a. 1612. Donne, Βιαθανατος (1644), 122. A youth … ready to expire his soule by sickenesse.
1642. Jer. Taylor, Episc. (1647), 128. As soon as their Apostle had expired his last breath.
a. 1671. Ld. Fairfax, Mem. (1699), 56. My Daughter … in appearance was ready to expire her last.
1715–20. Pope, Iliad, XVI. 1000. Patroclus thus … So many lives effused, expires his own.
5. intr. Of a person or animal: To breathe one’s last; to die.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst., Assump. (Shaks. Soc.), 387. The thrydde day hens ye schul ben expirand.
1485. Caxton, St. Wenefr., 3. The yong man forthwith fyll down to therthe and exspyred.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., IV. xliv. 344. God onely knows (but Man not,) what becomes of a mans spirit, when he expireth.
1724. R. Falconer, Adv. & Escapes, 83. When he found himself just upon the Point of expiring, he made this short Prayer.
1741. trans. D’Argens’ Chinese Lett., xxviii. 209. They … stand round making respectful Bows to them [Goats and Sheep] till they are expired.
1839. Keightley, Hist. Eng., II. 74. The king pressed his hand and expired.
1843. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., I. 275. Leaving my two gentlemen ready to expire of laughter.
b. transf. in various nonce-uses. Also of a fire: To die out.
c. 1593. Spenser, Sonn., xxvii. 11 (1611), D j. This verse, that neuer shall expire.
1595. Shaks., John, V. iv. 36. Euen this ill night your breathing shall expire.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 209. Palmeto … is a soft pith, in which consists the soule and vegetatiue vertue of that tree, which cut out the tree expires.
1660. Jer. Taylor, Duct. Dubit., 139. The Jews religion … was to expire into the Christian.
1666. Dryden, Ann. Mirab., ccxii. London … By an high fate thou greatly didst expire.
1769. O. Goldsmith, Hist. Rom., II. 49. Brutus was … reading by a lamp that was just expiring.
1847. Longf., Ev., I. i. 113. The sparks expired in the ashes.
6. To come to an end: a. Of a period of time: To reach its close; to terminate, end; rarely, to elapse, pass. Sometimes conjugated with be.
1455. Richard Dk. of York, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 40, I. 126. And that yere expired to geve my said servaunt … your licence to retourne.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VI. cci. 210. From the firste yere of Pepyn … to the first yere of Hughe Capet expyred or passed cc.xxxix. yeres.
c. 1500. Melusine, 317. After your lyf naturel expired, no man shal … hold your land.
c. 1550. Cheke, Mark i. 15. Jesus … said ye time is now expired … repent and belev ye gospel.
1608. Shaks., Per., II. iv. 14, F. Till your date expire.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., xxix. 115. The three days abstinence being expired, Lots were cast.
1812. Southey, Lett. (1856), II. 278. Lord Sunderlin … has it for three years, one of which is expired.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), VI. 560. Till all the lives, during which it was directed to accumulate, should expire.
1866. Trollope, Belton Est., I. xi. 261. Till the next session of Parliament should have nearly expired.
¶ Spenser’s use in the following quot. seems to be a forced extension of this sense.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. vii. 9. She … Trebling the dew time In which the wombes of wemen doe expire Brought forth this monstrous masse.
b. Of a condition (in a bond or the like), a law, patent, truce, etc., appointed for a limited time: To become void through lapse of time; to reach its term; to determine.
c. 1477. Caxton, Jason, 95 b. The triews faylled at time sette and exspired.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., I. iii. 160. A month before This bond expires.
1659. B. Harris, Parival’s Iron Age, 171. There was a Truce for six yeares, which expired in that of 1635.
1790. Paley, Horæ Paul., Rom. ii. 43. St. Paul’s vow was expired before he set forward upon his voyage.
1804. Earl Lauderd., Publ. Wealth (1819), 162. When the patent expires.
1817. W. Selwyn, Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4), II. 668. A notice expiring that day of the year.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 540. To ascertain what temporary statutes were about to expire.
c. Of an action, state, legal title, etc.: To cease, come to an end, die out, become extinct.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 4479. Þe paynyms pride it sall’ expire.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., xxvii. To worke my mind, when boddies work’s expired.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., I. 353. When this dignity was exspired, in this family.
1656. B. Harris, Parival’s Iron Age, 214. This War, which had lasted almost ninety years … expired in the Spring time, 1648.
1671. Marvell, Corr., Wks. 1872–5, II. 388. Dover Peere was not able to get in its report; so that matter is expired.
1712–4. Pope, Rape Lock, III. 15. Amazed, confused, he found his power expired.
1783. Burke, Rep. Affairs India, Wks. 1842, II. 28. This trade … was now itself expiring in the hands of the company.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), II. 266. An estate tail … expires whenever there is a failure of issue inheritable to it. Ibid., III. 373. The title of the daughters expired on the birth of the son.
1833. Bp. Thirlwall, in Philol. Mus., II. 522. The death of Ajax, with which, according to modern notions, the interest expires.
1844. Lingard, Anglo-Sax. Ch. (1858), I. ii. 77, note. The extensive authority … was meant to expire.
† d. Of food: To be consumed, exhausted or spent. Obs. rare–1.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, cix. 375. Or xv. dayes were passyd, all theyr vytayles were expyred.
† 7. trans. To cause to expire or cease; to bring to an end, conclude; to put an end to. Obs.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 77. To swill the drinke that will expyre thy date.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., I. iv. 109. Some consequence … Shall … expire the tearme Of a despised life.
1594. Nashe, Unfort. Trav., B 3. If I woulde expire the miserie of his vnspeakable tormenting vncertaintie.
1610. Selden, Duello, iv. 15. Death was vmpire by expiring the best spirit of the one.
1612. T. Taylor, Comm. Titus i. 10. These seducers … will not haue it [circumcision] dated, when the Lord hath expired it.
† b. To cause (time) to pass; to spend. rare–1.
1589. Nashe, in Greene, Menaphon, Ded. (Arb.), 11. Those yeares, which shoulde bee employed in Aristotle, are expired in Epitomes.
