transcribe
|trans-cribe|
/trænsˈkraɪb/
convert spoken to written
Etymology
'transcribe' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'transcribere', where 'trans-' meant 'across' and 'scribere' meant 'to write'.
'transcribere' passed into Medieval/Old French as 'transcrire' and into Middle English as forms like 'transcriven' before becoming the modern English 'transcribe'.
Initially it meant 'to write across or copy across', and over time it developed the more specific senses of 'copy speech into writing', 'notate', and the biological sense 'make an RNA copy', while retaining the general idea of copying by writing.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to put spoken words into written or printed form; to write down speech exactly or as a record.
Please transcribe the interview and send the file by tomorrow.
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Verb 2
to copy or reproduce a document or text by writing or typing it out.
They transcribe the 18th-century letters into a modern typescript for the archive.
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Verb 3
to arrange or adapt a piece of music so it can be played by a different instrument or ensemble; to notate the music for that arrangement.
They transcribe the piano piece for a four-hand ensemble.
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Verb 4
in molecular biology, to make an RNA copy from a DNA sequence (the process of transcription).
Researchers transcribe the gene into mRNA in the nucleus.
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Verb 5
to represent spoken sounds or language in a different script or in phonetic notation (e.g., using IPA).
Linguists transcribe native pronunciations using the IPA.
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Last updated: 2025/10/28 16:25