emission

[ih-mish-uhn]

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

emission

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• nonemission noun
• reemission noun
• emissive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of emission¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of emission¹

C17: from Latin ēmissiō, from ēmittere to send forth, _emit

Example Sentences

ANO shares the Motorists' misgivings about the EU's emissions targets, and vows to modify or reject them outright.

From BBC

The Climate Change Act 2008, which put targets for cutting emissions into law, was introduced by the last Labour government and strengthened under Tory PM Theresa May.

From BBC

“We have to come together, with governmental action, and take steps to reduce man-made greenhouse gas emissions.”

From Los Angeles Times

World leaders and climate diplomats will meet in the Amazonian city as efforts to tackle rising emissions of planet warming gases have fallen down the political agenda.

From BBC

“The Long Heat” details what might occur if capitalism based on fossil fuels cannot be overturned, in three sections with bleak views on adaptation, emissions and geo-engineering.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• discharge 
• radiation 

When To Use

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.