The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Transitive \Tran"si*tive\, a. [L. transitivus: cf. F. transitif.
   See Transient.]
   1. Having the power of making a transit, or passage. [R.]
      --Bacon.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Effected by transference of signification.
      [1913 Webster]

            By far the greater part of the transitive or
            derivative applications of words depend on casual
            and unaccountable caprices of the feelings or the
            fancy.                                --Stewart.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. (Gram.) Passing over to an object; expressing an action
      which is not limited to the agent or subject, but which
      requires an object to complete the sense; as, a transitive
      verb, for example, he holds the book.
      [1913 Webster] -- Tran"si*tive*ly, adv. --
      Tran"si*tive*ness, n.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

transitiveness
    n 1: the grammatical relation created by a transitive verb [syn:
         transitivity, transitiveness] [ant: intransitiveness,
         intransitivity]