Oxford Collocations dictionary for students of Englishperspire
verb
ADV. heavily, profusely He had been working hard and was perspiring profusely. | a little
PREP. with She was perspiring a little with the heat.
per·spire
\pə(r)ˈspī(ə)r, -īə\
verb
(
-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: French
perspirer, from Middle French, from
per- through (from Latin) +
-spirer (from Latin
spirare to blow, breathe) — more at
per-
,
spirit
intransitive verb1. : to pass off by evaporation or exhalation especially through the pores of a substance
< beads of moisture perspiring through the porous walls of a clay water jug >2. : to emit matter through the skin;
specifically : to secrete and emit perspiration
3. : to expend effort (as in thought) to such a degree as might be expected to cause sweating
transitive verb1. : to emit, exhale, or evacuate through pores
< firs … perspire a fine balsam of turpentine — Tobias Smollett >2. : to emit (a substance) as or in perspiration