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• em
  em

  noun

  the letter M, m.
• 'em
  'em

  pronoun

  them.
• Em
  Em

  emanation.
• EM
  EM

  abbreviation

  electromagnetic.
• em-
  em-

  variant of en- before b, p, and sometimes m:
• E.M.
  E.M.

  abbreviation

  Earl Marshal.

em

¹ American  

[em] / ɛm /

noun

ems plural

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.

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adjective

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

'em ² American  

[uhm] / əm /

pronoun

Informal.

1. them.

   Put 'em down there.

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Em ³ American  

Symbol, Physical Chemistry.

1. emanation.

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EM ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. electromagnetic.

2. electromotive.

3. electronic mail.

4. electron microscope; electron microscopy.

5. end matched.

6. Engineer of Mines.

7. enlisted man; enlisted men.

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em- ⁵ American  

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

   embalm.

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em- ⁶ American  

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

   embolism, emphasis.

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E.M. ⁷ American  

abbreviation

1. Earl Marshal.

2. Engineer of Mines.

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em ¹ British  

/ ɛm /

noun

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

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'em ² British  

/ əm /

pronoun

1. an informal variant of them

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em- ³ British  

prefix

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ems
  plural

Etymology

Origin of em¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Origin of 'em²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English hem, Old English heom, dative and accusative plural of he ¹

Example Sentences

Like venster are declined the neuter polysyllabic nouns ending in -el, -em, -en, -er, as luoder, bait, wāfen, wāpen, weapon; schapel, garland, gadem, house, wëter, weather.

From A Middle High German Primer Third Edition by Wright, Joseph

Those in -em, -en generally retain the e in the dative plural.

From A Middle High German Primer Third Edition by Wright, Joseph

To think = pens‑i; suf. -em denotes propensity. 2With his widowed mother, i.e. his own = sia. 3This was his name.

From International Language Past, Present and Future: With Specimens of Esperanto and Grammar by Clark, Walter John

Nom. prīnceps -s Gen. prīncipis -is Dat. prīncipī -ī Acc. prīncipem -em Voc. prīnceps -s Abl. prīncipe -e PLURAL.

From New Latin Grammar by Bennett, Charles E. (Charles Edwin)

To save = ŝpar‑i; suf. -em denotes propensity. 3Painful.

From International Language Past, Present and Future: With Specimens of Esperanto and Grammar by Clark, Walter John