transmit
transmit — verb
1. to send out signals, messages, or programmes by radio, television, or other elec
to send out signals, messages, or programmes by radio, television, or other electronic means.
The local radio station transmits news programmes from six in the morning until midnight.
transmit + signal / data / programme
Baraka attached the report to an email and transmitted it to the head office.
The satellite transmits live images of the storm back to the weather centre.
Ramón's phone could not transmit a signal inside the underground tunnel.
Engineers are testing a new system that transmits electricity without any wires.
- receive
the opposite action — to get signals or messages
文法句型
transmit + noun (signal / data / message)
transmit + to + place
用法筆記
Often used in passive constructions: 'signals are transmitted via satellite'. The subject is typically a device, station, or communication system rather than a person.
常見錯誤
2. to spread an illness or infection from one living thing to another.
to spread an illness or infection from one living thing to another.
The nurse explained how the virus transmits through droplets in the air.
transmit + disease / virus / infection
Sivan stayed home from work to avoid transmitting her cold to colleagues at the office.
Mosquitoes in tropical regions can transmit serious diseases such as dengue fever.
Hospital staff follow strict procedures to prevent transmitting infections between patients.
The bacteria can transmit through contaminated water if it is not boiled first.
- spread
more general and common — does not specify the mechanism
- pass on
informal, typical in everyday speech
- communicate
formal; used in medical literature for disease transfer
- contain
to stop a disease from spreading further
文法句型
transmit + disease / virus / infection
transmit + through / via + route
用法筆記
More common in formal and medical writing than in everyday conversation, where 'pass on' or 'spread' is preferred. Often used with 'through', 'via', or 'by' to indicate the route of transmission.
常見錯誤
3. to make an emotion, mood, or quality that you feel spread to other people around
to make an emotion, mood, or quality that you feel spread to other people around you.
The coach's calm confidence transmitted to every player before the big match.
transmit + feeling / emotion / mood
Luca could sense the excitement transmitting from the audience to the performers on stage.
A teacher's passion for a subject can easily transmit to the students in the class.
Brandon noticed that his own nervousness was transmitting to his interview partner.
Ife spoke in a steady voice, hoping to transmit calm to the frightened children.
- communicate
broader — includes verbal and non-verbal expression
- pass on
informal, common in everyday conversation
- convey
implies deliberate expression, often in speech or writing
- suppress
to hold back a feeling instead of letting it pass to others
文法句型
transmit + noun (enthusiasm / calm / nervousness)
transmit + to + person
用法筆記
Unlike senses 1 and 2, this sense often appears with reflexive 'itself' (e.g., 'nervousness transmits itself'). Distinguish from sense 2 — the object here is an emotion or quality, not a pathogen.
常見錯誤
4. when a material or substance lets heat, light, sound, or other kinds of energy m
when a material or substance lets heat, light, sound, or other kinds of energy move through it, it transmits them.
Copper wires transmit electricity much better than rubber or plastic tubes.
transmit + light / heat / sound / electricity
The special glass in these windows transmits sunlight while blocking harmful ultraviolet rays.
Engineers chose a material that transmits sound clearly for the concert hall walls.
Jin tested whether the metal sheet could transmit enough heat for the science experiment.
Thick stone walls transmit very little heat, so the inside stays cool even in summer.
文法句型
transmit + light / heat / sound / electricity
material + transmits + energy
用法筆記
The subject is the material or medium, not the energy itself ('Glass transmits light', not 'Light transmits glass'). In scientific writing 'conduct' is preferred for electricity and heat, while 'transmit' is broader and covers light, sound, and other energy forms.