Dictionary

transfix en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

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Etymology

From Middle French transfixer, from Old French transfixer, from Latin transfigō (“to pierce through”), from trans- (“through”) + figō (“to pierce”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe.
   • But we may as well accept her story as true, for it is likely she would have been transfixed by the narcissism of the weight lifters. 1973, Norman Mailer, Marilyn: A Biography, page 45:
   • He stood transfixed before the unaccustomed view of London at night time, a vast panorama which reminded him […] of some wood engravings far off and magical, in a printshop in his childhood. They dated from the previous century and were coarsely printed on tinted paper, with tinsel outlining the design. 1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
2. (transitive) To pierce with a sharp pointed weapon.
   • The spear transfixed my arm that was uplifted In swift expostulation, and the blood Gushed round its point: I smiled, […] 1817 December, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Revolt of Islam. […]”, in [Mary] Shelley, editor, The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 237:
   • There was a little stream that ran not far away, in which he bathed, and down this on occasion would come a shoal of fish. Then the natives would assemble with spears, and with much shouting would transfix the great startled things as they hurried down to the sea. 1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 52”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:
3. (transitive) To fix or impale.

Forms

Deriveds

transfixable

Relateds

transfixation · transfixion · transfixture

Translations (36)

fi lävistää (to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon) · bg пробождам (to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon) · de verblüffen (to render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe) · sv spetsa (to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon) · el καρφώνω (to fix or impale) · de verwundern (to render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe) · ota صاپلامق (to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon) · tr saplamak (to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon) · el διατρυπώ (to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon) · sv lamslå (to render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe) · bg приковавам (to fix or impale) · es transfijar (to render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe) · bg пронизвам (to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon) · de Ehrfurcht einflößen (to render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe) · es transfijar (to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon) · de durchstechen (to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon) · de durchbohren (to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon) · el ανασκολοπίζω (to fix or impale) · de aufspießen (to fix or impale) · es transfijar (to fix or impale) · sv paralysera (to render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe) · de erstaunen (to render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe) · de in Ehrfurcht versetzen (to render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe) · de fixieren (to fix or impale) · la transfīgō (to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon) · hy գամել (to render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe) · sv spetsa (to fix or impale) · ru пронза́ть (to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon) · fi lävistää (to fix or impale) · ota صاپلامق (to fix or impale) · tr saplamak (to fix or impale) · tr sançmak (to pierce with a sharp pointed weapon) · el καθηλώνω (to render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe) · de in Erstaunen versetzen (to render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe) · tr sançmak (to fix or impale) · fr méduser (to render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe)

transfix en · NOUN · etymology 2

Etymology

From trans- + -fix.

Meanings

1. A discontinuous affix, typical of Afro-Asiatic languages, which occurs at more than one position in a word, i.e. a combination of prefixes, infixes and/or suffixes.
   • The Arabic word مكتوب (maktūb, “written”) is built from the root [script needed] (k–t–b, “writing”) and the transfix [script needed] (ma––ū–, “passive participle”).

Forms

Translations (4)

it transfisso (a discontinuous affix, which occurs at more than one position in a word, typical of Afro-Asiatic languages) · es transfijo (a discontinuous affix, which occurs at more than one position in a word, typical of Afro-Asiatic languages) · fr transfixe (a discontinuous affix, which occurs at more than one position in a word, typical of Afro-Asiatic languages) · cmn 插綴 /插缀 (a discontinuous affix, which occurs at more than one position in a word, typical of Afro-Asiatic languages)