em
nounpronounpronouninterjectionnountop 1 000 in film dialogue
- //ˈɛm//
- //ɛ(ː)m//
The name of the Latin script letter M/m.
noun
- 1
The name of the Latin script letter M/m.
It said, in a whispering, buzzing voice, "Gee-you-ess-ess-ay-dash-em-ee-ar-ar-wye-dash-em-eye-en-gee-oh-dash-pee-eye-pee-dash-pee-ee-ar-ar-wye-dash-pee-eye-en-gee-oh."
- 2
A unit of measurement equal to the height of the type in use.
Insert here a one-em dash or long dash.
That the price of work, paid for by letters be advanced from fourpence to fourpence halfpenny per thousand, including English and brevier; and, in leaded matter, the ems and ens at the beginnings and ends of the lines not to be reckoned in the width.
- 3
A relative unit of sizing defined in terms of the font size.
Etymology
Attested since 1808. In typography, the em is named after the em quadrat (later called em quad), from m quadrat, a metal type used in letterpress typesetting, which is as wide as the point size of the font.
pronoun
- 1
Variant of 'emAlternative form of 'em.
Etymology
See 'em.
pronoun
- 1
rareA gender-neutral third-person singular object pronoun, the objective case of ey or e, equivalent to the singular them and coordinate with him and her.
If the author uses such notation, it should be up to Em to indicate Eir intentions clearly, but there’s no harm checking first.
I may become quite intimate with someone, spend hours with em every night, and yet not have the slightest idea what eir voice sounds like, or what eir RL body looks, feels, and smells like.
E invites em to consider how ey represent emselves^([sic]), and in so doing, e focuses eir attention on the ethics that make human relations possible.
And ultimately: I think my readers are mature enough that knowing eir assigned gender is not going to give them an “excuse” to misgender em.
Etymology
Coined by Christine M. Elverson by removing the "th" from them, perhaps influenced by the pre-existing em/'em, now often perceived as apheretic forms of them (though originally unrelated).
interjection
- 1
a form of hesitant speech, or an expression of uncertainty
She was abused by, em... David, I think. That was his name, he's a real em... what's the word, narcissist. You should really stay away from him.
Etymology
Onomatopoeic. Compare um.
noun
- 1
The name of the letter м/М in Cyrillic alphabets.
Etymology
From Russian эм (em), Ukrainian ем (em), etc.
Forms
- plural
- ems