emission

American  

[ih-mish-uhn] / ɪˈmɪʃ ən /

noun

1. an act or instance of emitting.

   the emission of poisonous fumes.

2. something that is emitted; discharge; emanation.

3. an act or instance of issuing, as paper money.

4. Electronics. a measure of the number of electrons emitted by the heated filament or cathode of a vacuum tube.

5. an ejection or discharge of semen or other fluid from the body.

   Synonyms:

   ejaculation

6. the fluid ejected or discharged.

   Synonyms:

   ejaculate

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emission British  

/ ɪˈmɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of emitting or sending forth

2. energy, in the form of heat, light, radio waves, etc, emitted from a source

3. a substance, fluid, etc, that is emitted; discharge

4. a measure of the number of electrons emitted by a cathode or electron gun See also secondary emission thermionic emission

   at 1000°C the emission is 3 mA

5. physiol any bodily discharge, esp an involuntary release of semen during sleep

6. an issue, as of currency

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Usage

What does emission mean? An emission is something that has been emitted—released or discharged. In general, emissions consist of things like gas, liquid, heat, sound, light, and radiation.Emissions can come from natural sources or from machines. A specific example of an emission is the exhaust from cars (in the U.S., such emissions are regulated through emissions tests). This exhaust is just one form of carbon emissions—greenhouse gases from various sources that are known to contribute to global warming and climate change.Emission can also refer to an instance or the process of emitting, as in This filter is designed to reduce the emission of light. Example: Carbon dioxide emissions from volcanoes are much lower than those from cars and airplanes.

Other Word Forms

• emissive adjective
• nonemission noun
• reemission noun

Etymology

Origin of emission

First recorded in 1600–10; from Middle French or directly from Latin ēmissiōn- (stem of ēmissiō ), equivalent to ēmiss(us), past participle of ēmittere “to send forth” ( ē- “from, out of” + mit-, stem of mittere “to send” + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn- noun suffix; emit, e- ¹, -ion

Example Sentences

The contentious decision came as part of a "National Strategy for Food, Nutrition and Climate," setting out the government's aims until 2030 on balancing a healthy diet while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

From Barron's

Even with current policies to reduce our emissions, global temperatures are expected to have increased by at least 2.5C by the end of the century, according to the United Nations.

From BBC

Some platinum is used in jewelry, but almost half of platinum’s demand, and nearly 85% of palladium’s use, is for vehicle catalysts to scrub emissions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Methane concentrations in the atmosphere climbed at an unprecedented pace in the early 2020s due to a combination of weaker natural removal and rising emissions from warming wetlands, rivers, lakes, and agricultural areas.

From Science Daily

While the finding initially applied only to a section of the Clean Air Act governing vehicle emissions, it was later incorporated into other regulations.

From Barron's

Related Words

• discharge
• radiation