Emily Dickinson Lexicon

EM-BARK', v.t. [Sp. embarcar; Port. id.; It. imbarcare; Fr. embarquer; en and barco, a boat, a barge, a bark.]

1. To put or cause to enter on board a ship or other vessel a boat. The general embarked his troops and their baggage.
2. To engage a person in any affair. This projector embarked his friends in the design or expedition.

EM-BAR-KA'TION, n.

1. The act of putting on board of a ship or other vessel, or the act of going aboard.
2. That which is embarked; as, an embarkation of Jesuits. Smollett.
3. [Sp. embarcacion.] A small vessel, or boat. [Unusual.] Anson's Voyage.

EM-BARK'ED, pp.

Put on shipboard; engaged in any affair.

EM-BARK'ING, ppr.

Putting on board of a ship or boat; going on shipboard.

EM-BAR'RAS, n.

Embarrassment. Warburton.

EM-BAR'RASS, v.t. [Fr. embarrasser; Port. embaraçar; Sp. embarazar; from Sp. embarazo, Port. embaraço, Fr. embarras, perplexity, intricacy, hinderance, impediment. In Spanish, formerly embargo signified embarrassment, and embarrar is to perplex.]

1. To perplex; to render intricate; to entangle. We say, public affairs are embarrassed; the state of our accounts is embarrassed; want of order tends to embarrass business.
2. To perplex, as the mind or intellectual faculties; to confuse. Our ideas are sometimes embarrassed.
3. To perplex, as with debts, or demands, beyond the means of payment; applied to a person or his affairs. In mercantile language, a man or his business is embarrassed, when he can not meet his pecuniary engagements.
4. To perplex; to confuse; to disconcert; to abash. An abrupt address may embarrass a young lady. A young man may be too much embarrassed to utter a word.

EM-BAR'RASS-ED, pp.

Perplexed; rendered intricate; confused; confounded.

EM-BAR'RASS-ING, a.

Perplexing; adapted to perplex.

EM-BAR'RASS-ING, ppr.

Perplexing; entangling; confusing; confounding; abashing.

EM-BAR'RASS-MENT, n.

1. Perplexity; intricacy; entanglement.
2. Confusion of mind.
3. Perplexity arising from insolvency, or from temporary inability to discharge debts.
4. Confusion; abashment.

EM-BAR'RED, pp.

Shut; closed; fastened.

EM-BAR'RING, ppr.

Fastening, as with a bar.

EM-BASE', v.t. [en and base.]

1. To lower in value; to vitigate; to deprave; to impair. The virtue – of a tree embased by the ground. Bacon. I have no ignoble end – that may embase my poor judgement. Wotton.
2. To degrade; to vilify. Spenser. [This word is seldom used.]

EM-BASE-MENT, n.

Act of depraving; depravation; deterioration. South.

EM'BAS-SADE, n.

An embassy. [Obs.] Spenser.

EM-BAS'SA-DOR, n. [Sp. embaxador; Port. id.; Fr. ambassadeur; It. ambasciadore; Arm. ambaçzador; Norm. ambaxeur. Spelman refers this word to the G. ambact, which Cesar calls ambactus, a client or retainer among the Gauls. Cluver, Ant. Ger. 1, 8, favors this opinion, and mentions that, in the laws of Burgundy, ambascia was equivalent to the Ger. ambact, service, now contracted to amt, D. ampt, Dan. ambt, Sw. embete, office, duty, function, employment, province. The Dutch has ambagt, trade, handcraft, a manor, a lordship, and ambagstman, a journeyman or mechanic, which is evidently the Sw. embetesman. The Danish has also embede, office, employment. In Sax. embeht, ymbeht, is office, duty, employment; embehtan, to serve; embehtman, a servant; also ambeht, collation; ambyht, a message or legation, an embassy; ambyhtsecga, a legate or envoy (a message-sayer.) The word in Gothic is andbahts, a servant; andbahtyan, to serve. The German has amtsbote, a messenger. The first syllable em is from emb, ymb, αμφι, about, and the root of ambact is Bg. See Pack and Dispatch.]

1. A minister of the highest rank, employed by one prince or state, at the court of another, to manage the public concerns of his own prince or state, and representing the power and dignity of his sovereign. Embassadors are ordinary, when they reside permanently at a foreign court; or extraordinary, when they are sent on a special occasion. They are also called ministers. Envoys are ministers employed on special occasions, and are of less dignity. Johnson. Encyc.
2. In ludicrous language, a messenger. Ash.

EM-BAS-SA-DO'RI-AL, a.

Belonging or relating to an embassador.

EM-BAS'SA-DRESS, n.

1. The consort of an embassador. Chesterfield.
2. A woman sent on a public message.

EM'BAS-SAGE, n.

An embassy, is not used.

EM'BAS-SY, n. [Sp. and Port. embaxada; Fr. ambassade.]

1. The message or public function of an embassador; the charge or employment of a public minister, whether embassador or envoy; the word signifies the message or commission itself, and the person or persons sent to convey or to execute it. We say, the king sent an embassy, meaning an envoy, minister, or ministers; or the king sent a person on an embassy. The embassy consisted of three envoys. The embassy was instructed to inquire concerning the king's disposition. Milford.
2. A solemn message. Taylor. Eighteen centuries ago, the Gospel went forth from Jerusalem on an embassy of mingled authority and love. B. Dickenson.
3. Ironically, an errand. Sidney. [The old orthography, ambassade, ambassage, being obslete, and embassy established, I have rendered the orthography of embassador conformable to it in the initial letter. The elegant Blackstone uniformly wrote embassador.]

EM-BATHE', v.t.

To bathe.

EM-BAT'TLE, v.i.

To be ranged in order of battle. Shak.

EM-BAT'TLE, v.t. [en and battle.]

1. To arrange in order of battle; to array troops for battle. On their embattled ranks the waves return. Milton.
2. To furnish with battlements. Cyc.

EM-BAT'TLED, pp.

1. Arrayed in order of battle.
2. Furnished with battlements; and in heraldry, having the outline resembling a battlement, as an ordinary. Cyc. Bailey.
3. adj. Having been the place of battle; as, an embattled plain or field.

EM-BAT'TLING, ppr.

Ranging in battle array.