c. 1400, "to die," from Old French expirer "expire, elapse" (12c.), from Latin expirare/exspirare "breathe out, blow out, exhale; breathe one's last, die," hence, figuratively, "expire, come to an end, cease," from ex "out" (see ex-) + spirare "to breathe" (see spirit (n.)). "Die" is the older sense in English; that of "breathe out" is attested from 1580s. Of laws, patents, treaties, etc., mid-15c. In 17c. also transitive. Related: Expired; expiring.

"close, termination," 1752, from expire + -y (4). Meaning "dying, death" is from 1790.

early 15c., expiracioun, "vapor, breath," from Latin expirationem/exspirationem (nominative expiratio/exspiratio) "a breathing out, exhalation," noun of action from past-participle stem of expirare/exspirare "breathe out; breathe one's last" (see expire). Meaning "termination, end, close" is from 1560s.

early 13c., "leave home," from go (v.) + out (adv.). Meaning "become extinct, expire" is from c. 1400.

early 14c., outrennen, "to flow out, to issue forth;" mid-14c., "to run out, expire" from out- + run (v.). Sense of "to outstrip in running, run past or beyond" is from mid-15c.; figurative use is from 1650s. Related: Outran; outrunning.

in the military sense of "one whose term or enlistment is about to expire," 1906, from short (adj.) + time (n.) + agent noun ending -er (1). Earlier "child who attends school part-time" (by 1863); "prostitute's customer" (1923). The noun phrase short time is attested by mid-14c.