em — English Dictionary

Noun

1. The name of the Latin script letter M/m.

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   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.

   Synonyms

   quadem quadmuttonmut

   Examples

   Insert here a one-em dash or long dash.

   More examples (1)

   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.

Pronoun

1. A 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.

   Usage

   • gender-neutral
   • nonstandard
   • objective
   • Rare
   • singular
   • third-person

   Examples

   If the author uses such notation, it should be up to Em to indicate Eir intentions clearly, but there’s no harm checking first.

   More examples (1)

   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.

   More examples (2)

   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.

   “You idiot girl! Are you childsick?” She grabbed Asu’s wrist; Asu made no effort to twist away. “Sand and soil, tell me you’re not pregnant. Is it that—what’s eir name? Aeran? Have you lain with em? Tell me!”

Interjection

1. a form of hesitant speech, or an expression of uncertainty

   Usage

   • Ireland
   • Scotland

   Synonyms

   umummermehuh

   Examples

   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.

Noun

1. The name of the letter м/М in Cyrillic alphabets.

Noun

1. a quad with a square body

   Synonyms

   em quadmutton quad

   Broader terms

   area unitsquare measure

   Examples

   since ‘em quad’ is hard to distinguish from ‘en quad’, printers sometimes called it a ‘mutton quad’

2. a linear unit (1/6 inch) used in printing

   Synonyms

   pica empica

   Broader terms

   linear unitlinear measure