em

noun, plural ems.

1. the letter M, m.
2. Also called mut, mutton. Printing.
   1. the square of any size of type used as the unit of measurement for matter printed in that type size.
   2. (originally) the portion of a line of type occupied by the letter M in type of the same size.
3. em pica.

adjective

4. Printing. having the area of an em quad or the length of an em dash.

Symbol, Physical Chemistry.

1. emanation(def 3).

1. electromagnetic.
2. electromotive.
3. electronic mail.
4. electron microscope; electron microscopy.
5. end matched.
6. Engineer of Mines.
7. enlisted man; enlisted men.

pronoun Informal.

1. them: Put ’em down there.

1. variant of en-¹ before b, p, and sometimes m: embalm.

1. variant of en-² before b, m, p, ph: embolism, emphasis.

1. Earl Marshal.
2. Engineer of Mines.

noun printing

1. Also called: mutton, mut the square of a body of any size of type, used as a unit of measurement
2. Also called: pica em, pica a unit of measurement used in printing, equal to one sixth of an inch

prefix

1. before b, m, and p, a variant of en- 1, en- 2

pronoun

1. an informal variant of them

2

representing Latin ex- assimilated to following -m- (see ex-).

1

from French assimilation of en- to following labial (see en- (1)). Also a prefix used to form verbs from adjectives and nouns.

Middle English, now taken as a colloquial abbreviation of them, but originally a form of hem, dative and accusative of the third person plural pronoun.

abbr.

1. electron microscope

pref.

1. Variant ofen-