Emily Dickinson Lexicon

EM'IS-SA-RY, n. [L. emissarius, from emitto; e and mitto, to send; Fr. emissaire; Sp. emisario; It. emissario.]

1. A person sent on a mission; a missionary employed to preach and propagate the Gospel. If one of the four gospels be genuine, we have in that one, strong reason to believe, that we possess the accounts which the original emissaries of the religion delivered. Paley, Evid. Christ. [This sense is now unusual.]
2. A person sent on a private message or business; a secret agent, employed to sound or ascertain the opinions of others, and to spread reports or propagate opinions favorable to his employer, or designed to defeat the measures or schemes of his opposers or foes; a spy; but an emissary may differ from a spy. A spy in war is one who enters an enemy's camp or territories to learn the condition of the enemy; an emissary may be a secret agent employed not only to detect the schemes of an opposing party, but to influence their councils. A spy in war must be concealed, or he suffers death; an emissary may in some cases be known as the agent of an adversary, without incurring similar hazard. Bacon. Swift.
3. That which sends out or emits. [Not used.] Arbuthnot.

EMISSARY-VESSELS, n. [Emissary vessels.]

In anatomy, the same as excretory.

E-MIS'SION, n. [L. emissio, from emitto, to send out.]

1. The act of sending or throwing out; as, the emission of light from the sun or other luminous body; the emission of odors, from plants; the emission of heat from a fire.
2. The act of sending abroad or into circulation, notes of a state or of a private corporation; as, the emission of state notes or bills of credit, or treasury notes.
3. That which is sent out or issued at one time; an impression or a number of notes issued by one act of government. We say, notes or bills of various emissions were in circulation.

EM-IS-SI'TIOUS, a. [L. emissitius.]

Looking or narrowly examining; prying. – Bp. Hall.

E-MIT', v.t. [L. emitto; e and mitto, to send.]

1. To send forth; to throw or give out; as, fire emits heat and smoke; boiling water emits steam; the sun and moon emit light; animal bodies emit perspirable matter; putrescent substances emit offensive or noxious exhalations.
2. To let fly; to discharge; to dart or shoot; as, to emit an arrow. [Unusual.] – Prior.
3. To issue forth, as an order or decree. [Unusual.] – Ayliffe.
4. To issue, as notes or bills of credit; to print, and send into circulation. The United States have emitted treasury notes. No state shall emit bills of credit. – Const. United States.

E-MIT'TED, pp.

Sent forth.

E-MIT'TING, ppr.

Sending out, giving out.

EM-MEN'A-GOGUE, n. [Gr. εμμηνος, menstruous, or εν, in, and μην, month, and αγω, to lead.]

A medicine that promotes the menstrual discharge. – Encyc.

EM'MET, n. [Sax. æmet, æmette; G. ameisse.]

An ant or pismire.

EM-MEW', v.t. [See Mew.]

To mew; to coop up; to confine in a coop or cage. – Shak.

EM-MOVE', v.t.

To move; to rouse; to excite. [Not used.] – Spenser.

EM-MOV-ED, pp.

Moved, excited.

EM-MOV-ING, ppr.

Moving, exciting.

EM-OL-LES'CENCE, n. [L. emollescens, softening. See Emolliate.]

In metallurgy, that degree of softness in a fusible body which alters its shape; the first or lowest degree of fusibility. – Kirwan.

E-MOL'LI-ATE, v.t. [L. emollio, mollio, to soften; mollis, soft; Eng. mellow, mild; Russ. miluyu, to pity; umiliayus, to repent. See Mellow.]

To soften; to render effeminate. Emolliated by four centuries of Roman domination, the Belgic colonies had forgotten their pristine valor. – Pinkerton, Geog. [This is a new word, though well formed and applied; but what connection is there between softening and forgetting? Lost is here the proper word for forgotten.]

E-MOL'LI-A-TED, pp.

Softened; rendered effeminate.

E-MOL'LI-A-TING, ppr.

Softening; rendering effeminate.

E-MOL'LI-ENT, a.

Softening; making supple; relaxing the solids. Barley is emollient. Arbuthnot.

E-MOL'LI-ENT, n.

A medicine which softens and relaxes, or sheathes the solids; that which softens or removes the asperities of the humors. Quincy. Coxe.

E-MOL-LI'TION, n.

The act of softening or relaxing. Bacon.

E-MOL'U-MENT, n. [L. emolumentum, from emolo, molo, to grind. Originally, toll taken for grinding. See Mill.]

1. The profit arising from office or employment; that which is received as a compensation for services, or which is annexed to the possession of office, as salary, fees and perquisites.
2. Profit; advantage; gains in general.

E-MOL-U-MENT'AL, a.

Producing profit; useful; profitable; advantageous. Evelyn.

E-MONGST', prep.

For among, in Spenser, is a mistake.

E-MO'TION, n. [Fr. from L. emotio; emoveo, to move from; It. emozione.]

1. Literally, a moving of the mind or soul; hence, any agitation of mind or excitement of sensibility.
2. In a philosophical sense, an internal motion or agitation of the mind which passes away without desire; when desire follows, the motion or agitation is called a panic. Kames's El. of Criticism.
3. Passion is the sensual effect, the feeling to which the mind is subjected, when an object of importance suddenly and imperiously demands its attention. The state of absolute passiveness, in consequence of any sudden percussion of mind, is of short duration. The strong impression, or vivid sensation, immediately produces a reaction correspondent to its nature, either to appropriate and enjoy, or avoid and repel the exciting cause. This reaction is very properly distinguished by the term emotion. Emotions therefore, according to the genuine signification of the word, are principally and primarily applicable to the sensible changes and visible effects, which particular passions produce on the frame, in consequence of this reaction, or particular agitation of mind. Cogan on the Passions.

E-MO'TION-AL, a.

Pertaining to emotion.