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

The server farms powering global tech giants now consume a fifth of the small nation's electricity, igniting concerns over both grid stability and Ireland's commitments to boost renewable energies and cut gas emissions.

Read more on Barron's

During this period, plastic increasingly filled landfills and oceans while its production—up to 8 million tons annually by 2020—contributed to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Read more on Literature

The draft also raises the possibility of assessing national climate pledges annually, instead of every five years, to assess more frequently shortfalls in global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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The policy aims to level the playing field for industries covered by EU emissions rules by preventing companies from relocating to countries with weaker standards.

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But indigenous sovereignty and environmental are still significant factors - Canada has pledged to halving its greenhouse emissions by 2035.

Read more on BBC

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.