transmission

noun

trans·​mis·​sion tran(t)s-ˈmi-shən 

tranz-

1

: an act, process, or instance of transmitting

transmission of a nerve impulse across a synapse

2

: the passage of radio waves in the space between transmitting and receiving stations

also : the act or process of transmitting by radio or television

3

: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the driveshaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a live axle

also : the speed-changing gears in such an assembly

4

: something that is transmitted : message

transmissive

tran(t)s-ˈmi-siv 

ˌtranz-

adjective

transmissivity

ˌtran(t)s-(ˌ)mi-ˈsi-və-tē 

ˌtranz-

noun

Did you know?

Since trans- means "across", it's not hard to see the meaning of transmission. Disease transmission occurs when an infection passes from one living thing to another. TV signal transmission can be interrupted by tree leaves, including moving leaves and branches during a storm. Your car's transmission transmits the engine's power to the axle, changing the gears to keep the engine working with maximum efficiency at various speeds.

Examples of transmission in a Sentence

The equipment is used for the transmission of television signals.

We are receiving a live transmission from the scene of the accident.

the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next

My car has a manual transmission.

This car comes with automatic transmission.

Recent Examples on the Web

Their Milwaukee friends can see their work this month without buying an airplane ticket, thanks to the Met's Live in HD program of cinema transmissions. —Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2024

Measles continues to be considered eliminated in the U.S., meaning there hasn’t been a sustained transmission chain lasting 12 consecutive months—the longest chain between 2020 and 2023 lasted 63 days. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2024

Wythe’s Studebaker only has 45,000 miles on the original overhead six-cylinder engine with a three-speed transmission plus overdrive. —David Krumboltz, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024

Over time, continued transmission among cattle is likely to yield mutations that will further increase the efficiency of mammal-to-mammal transmission. —Luciana Borio and Phil Krause, STAT, 12 Apr. 2024

Draining the oil in the engine and transmission and replacing it with long-term lubricant. —USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024

However, such transmission is rare and is primarily to be a risk for people who have close and prolonged contact with infected birds and their environments. —Katia Hetter, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024

Research currently suggests, however, that the viral load is greatest in the animals’ milk, hinting that H5N1 may be spreading through contaminated equipment, such as milking machines, rather than through the air, a transmission pathway which would be harder to stop. —David Cox, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2024

The software industry and the code it ships need to be much more efficient in order to minimize the emissions attributable to programs running in data centers and over transmission networks. —IEEE Spectrum, 7 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Latin transmission-, transmissio, from transmittere to transmit

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing transmission

• community transmission
• manual transmission
• automatic transmission

Kids Definition

transmission

noun

trans·​mis·​sion tran(t)s-ˈmish-ən  tranz- 

1

: an act, process, or example of transmitting

2

: the passage of radio waves in the space between transmitting and receiving stations

3

: the gears by which the power is transmitted from the engine to the axle that gives motion to a motor vehicle

4

: something transmitted

Medical Definition

transmission

noun

trans·​mis·​sion tran(t)s-ˈmish-ən  tranz- 

: an act, process, or instance of transmitting

transmission of HIV

synaptic transmission

Legal Definition

transmission

noun

trans·​mis·​sion tranz-ˈmi-shən, trans- 

: an act, process, or instance of transmitting