Transpose \Trans*pose"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Transposed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Transposing}.] [F. transposer; pref. trans- (L. trans across) + poser to put. See {Pose}.] 1. To change the place or order of; to substitute one for the other of; to exchange, in respect of position; as, to transpose letters, words, or propositions.
2. To change; to transform; to invert. [R.]
Things base and vile, holding no quantity, Love can transpose to form and dignity. --Shak.
3. (Alg.) To bring, as any term of an equation, from one side over to the other, without destroying the equation; thus, if a + b = c, and we make a = c - b, then b is said to be transposed.
4. (Gram.) To change the natural order of, as words.
5. (Mus.) To change the key of.
A virus may transpose, say, two digits in every seventh line in a computer's memory of corporate or government data.
It can freeze frames in a strobe-light effect, intensify colors to resemble an oil painting, transpose a frame to look like a photographic negative and add captioning.