Question 1 · Quick check
transfix
CEFRB2
/træˈnsfɪks/
verb · noun
Türkçe translations
Translating…
In plain English
- 01
verb
To hold someone's attention completely and prevent movement.
- 02
verb
Extra detailTo fix or impale.
Examples
The beautiful laser light show was designed to transfix the audience.
The beauty of the sunset began to transfix everyone on the beach.
At a glance
Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale
- Senses
- 5
- Parts of speech
- 2
- Citations
- 4
Deep Dive
verb
Extra meaningsTo pierce with a sharp pointed weapon.
To render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe.
noun
Extra meaningA 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.
More examples
In contextTo transfix means to cause someone to become motionless with awe.
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”).
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.
Quick test
Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.
Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.
Nearby
Origin
verb
From Middle French transfixer, from Old French transfixer, from Latin transfigō (“to pierce through”), from trans- (“through”) + figō (“to pierce”).