Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

EMINENT — EMULSION

EMINENT, a. [L. eminens, from emineo.]

1. High; lofty; as an eminent place. Ezekiel 16:24, 31, 39.

2. Exalted in rank; high in office; dignified; distinguished. Princes hold eminent stations in society, as do ministers, judges and legislators.

3. High in public estimation; conspicuous; distinguished above others; remarkable; as an eminent historian or poet; an eminent scholar. Burke was an eminent orator; Watts and Cowper were eminent for their piety.

EMINENTLY, adv. In a high degree; in a degree to attract observation; in a degree to be conspicuous and distinguished from others; as, to be eminently learned or useful.

EMIR, n. [Heb. to speak.] A title of dignity among the Turks, denoting a prince; a title at first given to the Caliphs, but when they assumed the title of Sultan, that of Emir remained to their children. At length it was attributed to all who were judged to descend from Mohammed, by his daughter Fatimah.

EMISSARY, n. [L. emissarius, from emitto; e and mitto, to send.]

A person sent on a mission; a missionary employed to preach and propagate the gospel.

If one of the four gospels be genuine, we have, in that one, strong reason to believe, that we posses the accounts which the original emissaries of the religion delivered.

[This sense is now unusual.]

2. A person sent on a private message or business; a secret agent, employed to sound or ascertain the opinions of others, and to spread reports or propagate opinions favorable to his employer, or designed to defeat the measures or schemes of his opposers or foes; a spy; but an emissary may differ from a spy. A spy in war is one who enters an enemy’s camp or territories to learn the condition of the enemy; an emissary may be a secret agent employed not only to detect the schemes of an opposing party, but to influence their councils. A spy in war must be concealed, or he suffers death; an emissary may in some cases be known as the agent of an adversary, without incurring similar hazard.

3. That which sends out or emits. [Not used.]

Emissary vessels, in anatomy, the same as excretory.

EMISSARY, a. Exploring; spying.

EMISSION, n. [L. emissio, from emitto, to send out.] The act of sending or throwing out; as the emission of light from the sun or other luminous body; the emission of odors from plants; the emission of heat from a fire.

1. The act of sending abroad or into circulation notes of a state or of a private corporation; as the emission of state notes, or bills of credit, or treasury notes.

2. That which is sent out or issued at one time; an impression or a number of notes issued by one act of government. We say, notes or bills of various emissions were in circulation.

EMIT, v.t. [L. emitto; e and mitto, to send.]

1. To send forth; to throw or give out; as, fire emits heat and smoke; boiling water emits steam; the sun and moon emit light; animal bodies emit perspirable matter; putrescent substances emit offensive or noxious exhalations.

2. To let fly; to discharge; to dart or shoot; as, to emit an arrow. [Unusual.]

3. To issue forth, as an order or decree. [Unusual.]

4. To issue, as notes or bills of credit; to print, and send into circulation. The United States have once emitted treasury notes.

No state shall emit bills of credit.

EMMENAGOGUE, n. [Gr. menstruous, in month, and to lead.]

A medicine that promotes the menstrual discharge.

EMMET, n. An ant or pismire.

EMMEW, v.t. [See Mew.] To mew; to coop up; to confine in a coop or cage.

EMMOVE, v.t. To move; to rouse; to excite. [Not used.]

EMOLLESCENCE, n. [L. emollescens, softening. See Emolliate.]

In metallurgy, that degree of softness in a fusible body which alters its shape; the first or lowest degree of fusibility.

EMOLLIATE, v.t. [L. emollio, mollio, to soften; mollis, soft; Eng. mellow, mild.]

To soften; to render effeminate.

Emolliated by four centuries of Roman domination, the Belgic colonies had forgotten their pristine valor.

[This is a new word, though well formed and applied; but what connection is there between softening and forgetting? Lost is here the proper word for forgotten.]

EMOLLIATED, pp. Softened; rendered effeminate.

EMOLLIATING, pr. Softening; rendering effeminate.

EMOLLIENT, a. Softening; making supple; relaxing the solids.

Barley is emollient.

EMOLLIENT, n. A medicine which softens and relaxes, or sheaths the solids; that which softens or removes the asperities of the humors.

EMOLLITION, n. The act of softening or relaxing.

EMOLUMENT, n. [L. emolumentum, from emolo, molo, to grind. Originally, toll taken for grinding. See Mill.]

1. The profit arising from office or employment; that which is received as a compensation for services, or which is annexed to the possession of office, as salary, feels and perquisites.

2. Profit; advantage; gains in general.

EMOLUMENTAL, a. Producing profit; useful; profitable; advantageous.

Emongst, for among, in Spenser, is a mistake.

EMOTION, n. [L. emotio; emoveo, to move from.]

1. Literally, a moving of the mind or soul; hence, any agitation of mind or excitement of sensibility.

2. In a philosophical sense, an internal motion or agitation of the mind which passes away without desire; when desire follows, the motion or agitation is called a passion.

3. Passion is the sensible effect, the feeling to which the mind is subjected, when an object of importance suddenly and imperiously demands its attention. The state of absolute passiveness, in consequence of any sudden percussion of mind, is of short duration. The strong impression, or vivid sensation, immediately produces a reaction correspondent to its nature, either to appropriate and enjoy, or avoid and repel the exciting cause. This reaction is very properly distinguished by the term emotion.

Emotions therefore, according to the genuine signification of the word, are principally and primarily applicable to the sensible changes and visible effects, which particular passions produce on the frame, in consequence of this reaction, or particular agitation of mind.

EMPAIR, v.t. To impair. [See Impair.]

EMPALE, v.t. [L. palus.]

1. To fence or fortify with stakes; to set a line of stakes or posts for defense.

All that dwell near enemies empale villages, to save themselves from surprise.

[We now use stockade, in a like sense.]

2. To inclose; to surround.

Round about her work she did empale,

With a fair border wrought of sundry flowers.

3. To inclose; to shut in.

Impenetrable, empal’d with circling fire.

4. To thrust a stake up the fundament, and thus put to death; to put to death by fixing on a stake; a punishment formerly practiced in Rome, and still used in Turkey.

EMPALED, pp. Fenced or fortified with stakes; inclosed; shut in; fixed on a state.

EMPALEMENT, n. A fencing, fortifying or inclosing with stakes; a putting to death by thrusting a stake into the body.

1. In botany, the calyx or flower-cup of a plant, which surrounds the fructification, like a fence of pales.

2. In heraldry, a conjunction of coats of arms, pale-wise.

EMPALING, ppr. Fortifying with pales or stakes; inclosing; putting to death on a stake.

EMPANNEL, n. [Eng. pane, a square. See Pane and Pannel.]

A list of jurors; a small piece of paper or parchment containing the names of the jurors summoned by the sheriff. It is now written pannel, which see.

EMPANNEL, v.t. To form a list of jurors. It is now written impannel, which see.

EMPARK, v.t. [in and park.] To inclose as with a fence.

EMPARLANCE, n. [See Imparlance.]

EMPASM, n. empazm’. [Gr. to sprinkle.] A powder used to prevent the bad scent of the body.

EMPASSION, v.t. To move with passion; to affect strongly. [See Impassion.]

EMPEACH, [See Impeach.]

EMPEOPLE, v.t. empee’pl. To form into a people or community. [Little used.]

EMPERESS. [See Empress.]

EMPERISHED, a. [See Perish.] Decayed. [Not in use.]

EMPEROR, n. [L. imperator, from impero, to command.]

Literally, the commander of an army. In modern times, the sovereign or supreme monarch of an empire; a title of dignity superior to that of king; as the emperor of Germany or of Russia.

EMPERY, n. Empire.

EMPHASIS, n. In rhetoric, a particular stress of utterance, or force of voice, given to the words or parts of a discourse, whose signification the speaker intends to impress specially upon his audience; or a distinctive utterance of words, specially significant, with a degree and kind of stress suited to convey their meaning in the best manner.

The province of emphasis is so much more important than accent, that the customary seat of the latter is changed, when the claims of emphasis require it.

EMPHASIZE, v.t. To utter or pronounce with a particular or more forcible stress of voice; as, to emphasize a word, for the purpose of rendering the sense more distinct or impressive than other words in the sentence.

EMPHATIC, EMPHATICAL, a. Forcible; strong; impressive; as an emphatic voice, tone or pronunciation; emphatical reasoning.

1. Requiring emphasis; as an emphatical word.

2. Uttered with emphasis. We remonstrated in emphatical terms.

3. Striking to the eye; as emphatic colors.

EMPHATICALLY, adv. With emphasis; strongly; forcibly; in a striking manner.

1. According to appearance. [Not used.]

EMPHYSEMA, EMPHYSEM, n. [Gr. to inflate.] In surgery, a puffy tumor, easily yielding to pressure, but returning to its former state, as soon as that pressure is removed. A swelling of the integuments, from the admission of air into the cellular membrane.

EMPHYSEMATOUS, a. Pertaining to emphysema; swelled, bloated, but yielding easily to pressure.

EMPHYTEUTIC, a. [Gr. a planting, to plant.]

Taken on hire; that for which rent is to be paid; as emphyteutic lands.

EMPIERCE, v.t. empers’ [em, in, and pierce.] To pierce into; to penetrate. [Not used.]

EMPIGHT, a. [from pight, to fix.] Fixed.

EMPIRE, n. [L. imperium; See Emperor.]

1. Supreme power in governing; supreme dominion; sovereignty; imperial power. No nation can rightfully claim the empire of the ocean.

2. The territory, region or countries under the jurisdiction and dominion of an emperor. An empire is usually a territory of greater extent than a kingdom, which may be and often is a territory of small extent. Thus we say, the Russian empire; the Austrian empire; the sovereigns of which are denominated emperors. The British dominions are called an empire, and since the union of Ireland, the parliament is denominated the imperial parliament, but the sovereign is called king. By custom in Europe, the empire means the German empire; and in juridical acts, it is called the holy Roman empire. Hence, we say, the diet of the empire; the circles of the empire; etc. But the German empire no longer exists; the states of Germany now form a confederacy.

3. Supreme control; governing influence; rule; sway; as the empire of reason, or of truth.

4. Any region, land or water, over which dominion is extended; as the empire of the sea.

EMPIRIC, n. [Gr. to attempt; L. empiricus.]

Literally, one who makes experiments. Hence its appropriate signification is, a physician who enters on practice without a regular professional education, and relies on the success of his own experience. Hence, the word is used also for a quack, an ignorant pretender to medical skill, a charlatan.

EMPIRIC, EMPIRICAL, a. Pertaining to experiments or experience.

1. Versed in experiments; as an empiric alchimist.

2. Known only by experience; derived from experiment; used and applied without science; as empiric skill; empiric remedies.

I have avoided that empirical morality that cures one vice by means of another.

EMPIRICALLY, adv. By experiment; according to experience; without science; in the manner of quacks.

EMPIRICISM, n. Dependence of a physician on his experience in practice, without the aid of a regular medical education.

1. The practice of medicine without a medical education. Hence, quackery; the pretensions of a ignorant man to medical skill.

Shudder to destroy life, either by the naked knife, or by the surer and safer medium of empiricism.

EMPLASTER, n. [Gr. a plaster.] [See Plaster, which is not used.]

EMPLASTER, v.t. To cover with a plaster.

EMPLASTIC, a. [Gr. See Plaster, Plastic.] Viscous; glutinous; adhesive; fit to be applied as a plaster; as emplastic applications.

EMPLEAD, v.t. [em and plead.] To charge with a crime; to accuse. But it is now written implead, which see.

EMPLOY, v.t. [L. plico.]

1. To occupy the time, attention and labor of; to keep busy, or at work; to use. We employ our hands in labor; we employ our heads or faculties in study or thought; the attention is employed, when the mind is fixed or occupied upon an object; we employ time, when we devote it to an object. A portion of time should be daily employed in reading the scriptures, meditation and prayer; a great portion of life is employed to little profit or to very bad purposes.

2. To use as an instrument or means. We employ pens in writing, and arithmetic in keeping accounts. We employ medicines in curing diseases.

3. To use as materials in forming any thing. We employ timber, stones or bricks, in building; we employ wool, linen and cotton, in making cloth.

4. To engage in one’s service; to use as an agent or substitute in transacting business; to commission and entrust with the management of one’s affairs. The president employed an envoy to negotiate a treaty. Kings and States employ embassadors at foreign courts.

5. To occupy; to use; to apply or devote to an object; to pass in business; as, to employ time; to employ an hour, a day or a week; to employ one’s life.

To employ one’s self, is to apply or devote one’s time and attention; to busy one’s self.

EMPLOY, n. That which engages the mind, or occupies the time and labor of a person; business; object of study or industry; employment.

Present to grasp, and future still to find,

The whole employ of body and of mind.

1. Occupation, as art, mystery, trade, profession.

2. Public office; agency; service for another.

EMPLOYABLE, a. That may be employed; capable of being used; fit or proper for use.

EMPLOYED, pp. Occupied; fixed or engaged; applied in business; used in agency.

EMPLOYER, n. One who employs; one who uses; one who engages or keeps in service.

EMPLOYING, ppr. Occupying; using; keeping busy.

EMPLOYMENT, n. The act of employing or using.

1. Occupation; business; that which engages the head or hands; as agricultural employments; mechanical employments. Men, whose employment is to make sport and amusement for others, are always despised.

2. Office; public business or trust; agency or service for another or for the public. The secretary of the treasury has a laborious and responsible employment. He is in the employment of government.

EMPLUNGE, [See Plunge.]

EMPOISON, v.t. s as z.

1. To poison; to administer poison to; to destroy or endanger life by giving or causing to be taken into the stomach any noxious drug or preparation. [In this sense, poison is generally used; but empoison may be used, especially in poetry.]

2. To taint with poison or venom; to render noxious or deleterious by an admixture of poisonous substance. [This may be used, especially in poetry.]

3. To embitter; to deprive of sweetness; as, to empoison the joys and pleasure of life.

EMPOISONED, pp. Poisoned; tainted with venom; embittered.

EMPOISONER, n. One who poisons; one who administers a deleterious drug; he or that which embitters.

EMPOISONING, ppr. Poisoning; embittering.

EMPOISONMENT, n. The act of administering poison, or causing it to be taken; the act of destroying life by a deleterious drug.

EMPORIUM, n. [L. from the Gr. to buy; to pass or go.]

1. A place of merchandize; a town or city of trade; particularly, a city or town of extensive commerce, or in which the commerce of an extensive country centers, or to which sellers and buyers resort from different countries. Such are London, Amsterdam and Hamburg. New York will be an emporium.

2. in medicine, the common sensory in the brain.

EMPOVERISH, [See Impoverish.]

EMPOWER, v.t. [from en or in and power.]

1. To give legal or moral power or authority to; to authorize, either by law, commission, letter of attorney, natural right, or by verbal license. The supreme court is empowered to try and decide all cases, civil or criminal. The attorney is empowered to sign an acquittance and discharge the debtor.

2. To give physical power or force; to enable. [In this sense the use is not frequent, and perhaps not used at all.]

EMPOWERED, pp. Authorized; having legal or moral right.

EMPOWERING, ppr. Authorizing; giving power.

EMPRESS, n. [Contracted from emperess. See Emperor.] The consort or spouse of an emperor.

1. A female who governs an empire; a female invested with imperial power or sovereignty.

EMPRISE, n. s as z. [Norm; em, en, and prise, from prendre, to take.] An undertaking; an enterprise.

[This word is now rarely or never used, except in poetry.]

EMPTIER, n. One that empties or exhausts.

EMPTINESS, n. [from empty.] A state of being empty; a state of containing nothing except air; destitution; absence of matter; as the emptiness of a vessel.

1. Void space; vacuity; vacuum.

2. Want of solidity or substance; as the emptiness of light and shade.

3. Unsatisfactoriness; inability to satisfy desire; as the emptiness of earthly things.

4. Vacuity of head; want of intellect or knowledge.

EMPTION, n. [L. emptio, from emo, to buy.] The act of buying; a purchasing. [Not much used.]

EMPTY, a.

1. Containing nothing, or nothing but air; as an empty chest; empty space; an empty purse is a serious evil.

2. Evacuated; not filled; as empty shackles.

3. Unfurnished; as an empty room.

4. Void; devoid.

In civility thou seemest so empty.

5. Void; destitute of solid matter; as empty air.

6. Destitute of force or effect; as empty words.

7. Unsubstantial; unsatisfactory; not able to fill the mind or the desires. The pleasures of life are empty and unsatisfying.

Pleased with empty praise.

8. Not supplied; having nothing to carry.

They beat him, and sent him away empty. Mark 12:3.

9. Hungry.

My falcon now is sharp and passing empty.

10. Unfurnished with intellect or knowledge; vacant of head; ignorant; as an empty coxcomb.

11. Unfruitful; producing nothing.

Israel is an empty vine. Hosea 10:1.

Seven empty ears blasted with the east wind. Genesis 41:27.

12. Wanting substance; wanting solidity; as empty dreams.

13. Destitute; waste; desolate.

Nineveh is empty. Nahum 2:10.

14. Without effect.

The sword of Saul returned not empty. 2 Samuel 1:22.

15. Without a cargo; in ballast; as, the ship returned empty.

EMPTY, v.t. To exhaust; to make void or destitute; to deprive of the contents; as, to empty a vessel; to empty a well or a cistern.

1. To pour out the contents.

The clouds empty themselves on the earth. Ecclesiastes 11:3.

Rivers empty themselves into the ocean.

2. To waste; to make desolate. Jeremiah 51:2.

EMPTY, v.i. To pour out or discharge its contents.

The Connecticut empties into the Sound.

1. To become empty.

EMPTYING, ppr. Pouring out the contents; making void.

EMPTYINGS, n. The lees of beer, cider, etc.

EMPURPLE, v.t. [from purple.] To tinge or dye of a purple color; to discolor with purple

The deep empurpled ran.

EMPURPLED, pp. Stained with a purple color.

EMPURPLING, ppr. Tinging or dyeing of a purple color.

EMPUSE, n. A phantom or specter. [Not used.]

EMPUZZLE. [See Puzzle.]

EMPYREAL, a. [L. empyroeus; from Gr. fire.]

1. Formed of pure fire or light; refined beyond aerial substance; pertaining to the highest and purest region of heaven.

Go, soar with Plato to the empyreal sphere.

2. Pure; vital; dephlogisticated; an epithet given to the air, or rather gas, now called oxygen.

EMPYREAN, a. Empyreal.

EMPYREAN, n. [See Empyreal.] The highest heaven, where the pure element of fire has been supposed to subsist.

The empyrean rung

With halleluiahs.

EMPYREUMA, n. [Gr. fire.] In chimistry, a disagreeable smell produced from burnt oils, in distillations of animal and vegetable substances.

EMPYREUMATIC, EMPYREUMATICAL, a. Having the taste or smell of burnt oil, or of burning animal and vegetable substances.

EMPYRICAL, a. Containing the combustible principle of coal.

EMPYROSIS, n. [Gr. to burn.] a general fire; a conflagration. [Little used.]

EMRODS. [See Emerods.]

EMU, n. A large fowl of S. America, with wings unfit for flight.

This name properly belongs to the Cassowary, but has been erroneously applied, by the Brazilians, to the Rhea or S. American ostrich.

EMULATE, v.t. [L. oemulor; Gr. strife, contest.]

1. To strive to equal or excel, in qualities or actions; to imitate, with a view to equal or excel; to vie with; to rival. Learn early to emulate the good and the great. Emulate the virtues and shun the vices of distinguished men.

2. To be equal to.

Thy eye would emulate the diamond.

3. To imitate; to resemble. [Unusual.]

Convulsion emulating the motion of laughter.

EMULATE, a. Ambitious. [Little used.]

EMULATED, pp. Rivaled; imitated.

EMULATING, ppr. Rivaling; attempting to equal or excel; imitating; resembling.

EMULATION, n. The act of attempting to equal or excel in qualities or actions; rivalry; desire of superiority, attended with effort to attain to it; generally in a good sense, or an attempt to equal or excel others in that which is praise-worthy, without the desire of depressing others. Romans 11:14. In a bad sense, a striving to equal or do more than others to obtain carnal favors or honors. Galatians 5:20.

1. An ardor kindled by the praise-worthy examples of others, inciting to imitate them, or to equal or excel them.

A noble emulation heats your breast.

2. Contest; contention; strife; competition; rivalry accompanied with a desire of depressing another.

Such factious emulations shall arise.

EMULATIVE, a. Inclined to emulation; rivaling; disposed to competition.

EMULATOR, n. One who emulates; a rival; a competitor.

EMULATRESS, n. A female who emulates another.

EMULE, v.t. To emulate. [Not used.]

EMULGENT, a. [L. emulgeo; e and mulgeo, to milk out.]

Milking or draining out. In anatomy, the emulgent or renal arteries are those which supply the kidneys with blood, being sometimes single, sometimes double. The emulgent veins return the blood, after the urine is secreted. This the ancients considered as a milking or straining of the serum whence the name.

EMULGENT, n. An emulgent vessel.

EMULOUS, a. [L. oemulus.] Desirous or eager to imitate, equal or excel another; desirous of like excellence with another; with of; as emulous of another’s example or virtues.

1. Rivaling; engaged in competition; as emulous Carthage.

2. Factious; contentious.

EMULOUSLY, adv. With desire of equaling or excelling another.

EMULSION, n. [L. emulsus, emulgeo, to milk out.]

A soft liquid remedy of a color and consistence resembling milk; any milk-like mixture prepared by uniting oil and water, by means of another substance, saccharine or mucilaginous.