transcribe
UK: trænˈskraɪb | US: trænˈskraɪb
vt. to make a written or typed copy of spoken or recorded material
vt. to represent (speech sounds) in written or printed form
vt. (biology) to synthesize RNA from a DNA template
transcribe = trans<across> + scribe<write>
- trans (Latin origin): Meaning "across," "beyond," or "through." Used in words like transport (carry across) or transform (shape across).
- scribe (Latin scribere): Meaning "to write." Found in words like describe (write down) or inscribe (write into).
Etymology Origin:
The word transcribe originates from Latin transcribere, combining trans- (across) and scribere (to write). It originally meant "to copy writing from one surface to another," later evolving to include converting speech to text or genetic information (DNA to RNA). The logic reflects movement (trans-) of information into written form (-scribe).
The secretary will transcribe the meeting notes for distribution.
Linguists transcribe spoken dialects to study phonetic patterns.
Scientists observed how cells transcribe DNA into RNA during protein synthesis.
The court reporter’s job is to transcribe legal proceedings accurately.
Ancient scribes would transcribe manuscripts by hand, a laborious process.