释义 |
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: em- prefix - before b, m, and p, a variant of en-1, en-2
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024en-1 ,prefix. - en- is attached to adjectives or nouns to form verbs meaning:
- to cause (a person or thing) to be in (the place, condition, or state mentioned);
to keep in or place in:en- + rich → enrich (= to cause to be rich); en- + tomb → entomb (= to cause to be in a tomb);
- to restrict on all sides, completely:en- + circle → encircle (= to restrict on all sides within a circle).
-en1 ,suffix. - -en is used to form verbs and adjectives.
- It is attached to some adjectives to form verbs with the meaning "to be or make'':hard + -en → harden (= to be or make hard).
- It is attached to some nouns to form verbs with the meaning "to add to, cause to be, or have'':length + -en → lengthen (= to add length to;make long).
- It is attached to some nouns that are materials or sources of something to form adjectives that describe the source or material:gold + -en → golden (= like gold).
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024EM, an abbreviation of:- Electricityelectromagnetic.
'em /əm/USA pronunciation pron. Informal.- them:Now you see 'em, now you don't.
em-1 ,- prefix. em- is a form of en- used before roots beginning with b, p, and sometimes m:embalm. Compare im-1.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024em (em),USA pronunciation n., pl. ems, adj. n. - the letter M, m.
- PrintingAlso called mut, mutton.
- the square of any size of type used as the unit of measurement for matter printed in that type size.
- (originally) the portion of a line of type occupied by the letter M in type of the same size.
- PrintingSee em pica.
adj. - Printinghaving the area of an em quad or the length of an em dash.
EM, - Electricityelectromagnetic.
- Electricityelectromotive.
- Computingelectronic mail.
- Opticselectron microscope;
electron microscopy. - end matched.
- Engineer of Mines.
- Militaryenlisted man;
enlisted men.
Em, Symbol, Physical Chem. - Chemistryemanation (def. 3).
'em (əm),USA pronunciation pron. [Informal.]- them:Put 'em down there.
- Middle English hem, Old English heom, dative and accusative plural of he1 1350–1400
em-1 : - var. of en- 1 before b, p, and sometimes m: embalm. Cf. im-1.
em-2 : - var. of en- 2 before b, m, p, ph: embolism, emphasis.
E.M., - Earl Marshal.
- Engineer of Mines.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024en (en),USA pronunciation n. - the letter N, n.
- PrintingAlso called nut. half of the width of an em.
adj. - Printinghaving the area of an en quad or the length of an en:en quad; en dash.
en-1 : - a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from French and productive in English on this model, forming verbs with the general sense "to cause (a person or thing) to be in'' the place, condition, or state named by the stem;
more specifically, "to confine in or place on'' (enshrine; enthrone; entomb); "to cause to be in'' (enslave; entrust; enrich; encourage; endear); "to restrict'' in the manner named by the stem, typically with the additional sense "on all sides, completely'' (enwind; encircle; enclose; entwine). This prefix is also attached to verbs in order to make them transitive, or to give them a transitive marker if they are already transitive (enkindle; enliven; enshield; enface). Also,[before labial consonants,] em- 1. Cf. be-, in-2. - Latin in- in-2
- Old French
- Middle English
en-2 : - a prefix meaning "within, in,'' occurring in loanwords from Greek:energy; enthusiasm.
Also,[before labial consonants,] em- 2. - Greek (often through Latin); cognate with in-1, in-2
-en1 : - a suffix formerly used to form transitive and intransitive verbs from adjectives (fasten;
harden; sweeten), or from nouns (heighten; lengthen; strengthen).
- cognate with -n- of like verbs in other Gmc languages (Old Norse fastna) Middle English, Old English -n- (as in Middle English fast-n-en, Old English fǣst-n-ian to make fast, fasten)
-en2 : - a suffix used to form adjectives of source or material from nouns:ashen;golden;oaken.
- Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old High German -īn, Gothic -eins, Latin -īnus; see -ine1
-en3 : - a suffix used to mark the past participle in many strong and some weak verbs:taken; proven.
- cognate with German -en, Old Norse -inn Middle English, Old English
-en4 : - a suffix used in forming the plural of some nouns:brethren;children;oxen.
- Middle English; Old English -an, case ending of n-stem nouns, as in naman oblique singular, and nominative and accusative plural of nama name; akin to n-stem forms in other Indo-European languages, as in Latin nōmen, nōmin- name
-en5 : - a diminutive suffix:kitten; maiden.
- Middle English, Old English, from neuter of -en2
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: en-, em- prefix forming verbs and verbal derivatives - (from nouns) put in or on: entomb, enthrone
- go on or into: enplane
- surround or cover with: enmesh
- furnish with: empower
- (from adjectives and nouns) cause to be in a certain condition: enable, encourage, enrich, enslave
Etymology: via Old French from Latin in- in-² en-, em- prefix forming verbs and verbal derivatives - in; into; inside: endemic
Etymology: from Greek (often via Latin); compare in-1, in-² |