em en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- ĕm
- /ˈɛm/
Etymology
Attested since 1808. In typography, the em is named after the em quadrat (later called em quad), from m quadrat, a metal type used in letterpress typesetting, which is as wide as the point size of the font.
Meanings
-
The name of the Latin script letter M/m.
It said, in a whispering, buzzing voice, "Gee-you-ess-ess-ay-dash-em-ee-ar-ar-wye-dash-em-eye-en-gee-oh-dash-pee-eye-pee-dash-pee-ee-ar-ar-wye-dash-pee-eye-en-gee-oh."
2004, Will Rogers, The Stonking Steps, page 170:
-
A unit of measurement equal to the height of the type in use.
That the price of work, paid for by letters be advanced from fourpence to fourpence halfpenny per thousand, including English and brevier; and, in leaded matter, the ems and ens at the beginnings and ends of the lines not to be reckoned in the width.
1808, C[aleb] Stower, “An Account of the Different Advances in Journeymen’s Wages, from the Year 1785 to 1805, with the Present Regulations and Scale of Prices”, in The Compositor’s and Pressman’s Guide to the Art of Printing; […], London: […] [T]he Editor, […] for B[enjamin] Crosby and Co. […], →OCLC, page 419:Insert here a one-em dash or long dash.
- A relative unit of sizing defined in terms of the font size.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ems | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
5-em space · 3-em space · 5-to-the-em space · em dash · rem · oh em gee · em rule · emcee · em space · 3-to-the-em space · em quad
Descendants
Synonyms
Translations (50)
el έμ (name of the letter M, m) · ja エム (name of the letter M, m) · gl eme (name of the letter M, m) · sv fyrkantsvärde (typographic unit) · tr me (name of the letter M, m) · ca ema (name of the letter M, m) · es eme (name of the letter M, m) · la em (name of the letter M, m) · bn এম (name of the letter M, m) · fr emme (name of the letter M, m) · ru эм (name of the letter M, m) · bg ем (typographic unit) · haw mū (name of the letter M, m) · ast eme (name of the letter M, m) · vi mờ (name of the letter M, m) · cy em (name of the letter M, m) · hi एम (name of the letter M, m) · hu betűnégyzet (typographic unit) · it emme (name of the letter M, m) · akz ìmka (name of the letter M, m) · vi em (name of the letter M, m) · ga muin (name of the letter M, m) · nl em (name of the letter M, m) · fi em (typographic unit) · ga eim (name of the letter M, m) · ms em (name of the letter M, m) · hu kvirt (typographic unit) · ko 엠 (name of the letter M, m) · sv fyrkant (typographic unit) · fi äm (name of the letter M, m) · es cuadratín (typographic unit) · sv Åp-höjd (typographic unit) · th เอ็ม (name of the letter M, m) · hi एम् (name of the letter M, m) · fi ämmä (name of the letter M, m) · ar إِم (name of the letter M, m) · bg ем (name of the letter M, m) · eo mo (name of the letter M, m) · uk ем (name of the letter M, m) · vi em-mờ (name of the letter M, m) · fa ام (name of the letter M, m) · oc èma (name of the letter M, m) · io me (name of the letter M, m) · fi neliö (typographic unit) · pt eme (name of the letter M, m) · fr cadratin (typographic unit) · mr एम (name of the letter M, m) · chr ᎡᎻ (typographic unit) · pl em (name of the letter M, m) · tl em (name of the letter M, m)