em-, prefix
the form assumed by the prefix en- (q.v.) before b, p, and (frequently) m. For the reasons stated under en-, nearly all the Eng. words with this prefix, whether of Romanic or Eng. formation, have (or formerly had) alternative forms with im-. In this Dictionary the em- and the im- form, except where usage has introduced a distinction of sense between the two, will be treated as belonging to one and the same word, the article being placed under E or I in accordance with the principles explained under en-.
The various functions of the prefix, and its use as an Eng. formative, are explained under en-. Of the many compounds formed by prefixing em- to English words, those which have any special importance or require special remark, are inserted in their alphabetical place; the following are examples of those which are nonce-words or of rare occurrence.
1. Transitive vbs. (often found only in vbl. n., pa. pple., or ppl. adj.). a. f. em- + n., ‘to put (something) into or upon what is denoted by the n.’; also ‘to put what is denoted by the n. into’ (something).
embag, to put into a bag; † embalance, to put in the balance (with); † embare, to make bare; † embarrel, to pack in barrels; † embill, to put food into (a bird's) bill; embirch (cf. embark), to put on board a birch-bark canoe (in quot. intr. for refl.); † embottle, to put into a bottle; † embrail, to put (a sail) into a brail, to brail; † embreech, to put (a gun) upon a breech or stock; embronze, to represent in bronze; † embusk, to put on a busk, raise by means of a busk; † embuskin, to encase (the leg) in a buskin; † empall, to cover with a pall or cloak; empanoply, to array in complete armour; empaper, to put down on paper; emparchment, to put or write on parchment; † empill [after empoison], to dose as with a pill.
| 1812 W. Tennant Anster F. i, Mad t' *embag their limbs. |
| 1643 T. Goodwin Aggrav. Sin 4 The least dram of which, the whole world *emballanced with, would be found too light. |
| 1615 A. Niccholes Marriage & Wiv. vii. in Harl. Misc. (1744) II. 152 *Embared Breasts. |
| 1599 Nashe Lent. Stuffe in Harl. Misc. VI. 179 Our *embarreld white-herrings..last in long voyages. |
| 1598 Florio, Imbeccare, to *embill or feede birds. Imbeccata, an embilling, a billing or feeding. |
| 1864 Lowell Fireside Trav. 153 We were *embirching..for our moose-chase. |
| a 1693 Urquhart Rabelais iii. lii. 422 I had *embottled them. 1708 J. Philips Cyder ii. 352 Firmest Fruit, Embottled long. |
| 1762 Falconer Shipwr. ii. 303 He who strives the tempest to disarm, Will never first *embrail the lee yardarm. |
| 1598 Florio, Imbracare, to *embreech, or put any artillerie vpon a stocke. |
| 1743 Francis Horace's Satires ii. iii. That you..in the Capitol *embronz'd may stand. |
| 1593 Nashe Christ's T. (1613) 145 Their breasts they *embuske vp on hie. |
| 1596 C. Fitzgeffrey Sir F. Drake (1881) 26 Statelie shanks *embuskind by the Muses. |
| 1599 Nashe Lent. Stuffe 22 The red herring..*empals our sage Senatours..in princely scarlet. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 360 The empalled and Mytred Byshoppes. |
| 1784 W. Spencer in Poems (1811) 60 *Empanoply'd in arms. 1847 Tennyson Princ. v. 472 Empanoplied and plumed We entered in. |
| 1861 Reade Cloister & H. III. 233 I will *empaper it before your eyes. |
| 1840 Carlyle Heroes (1858) 284, I take your Bull, as an *emparchmented Lie, and burn it. |
| 1605 Sylvester Du Bartas 428 In the sugar (even) of sacred writ He may *empill us with som banefull bit. |
b. f. em- +
n. or
adj., with general sense ‘to bring into a certain condition or state’; also (
cf. 3) ‘to furnish with something’.
embeggar;
† embloody;
† embrawn, to make brawny, harden;
† embulk, to make bulky, to extend;
† embullion (
cf. bullion n.3) to bestud;
† empeevish, to make peevish;
† emprelate, to make a prelate of.
| 1806 Southey in C. Southey Life III. 54 They have so..vulgarised, impoverished and *embeggared the language. |
| 16.. T. Adams Wks. 1861–2 II. 146 Oh the unmatchable cruelty that some men's religion (if I may so call it) hath *embloodied them to! |
| 1599 Nashe Lent. Stuffe 38 It will *embrawne and iron crust his flesh. |
| 1775 Harris Philos. Arrangem. (1841) 273 note This (that is, the first matter) being *embulked with three extensions. |
| 1523 Skelton Garl. Laurel Wks. 487 *Embullyoned with sapphires. |
| a 1687 H. More in Ward Life (1710) 207 Pain..doth ordinarily *empeevish the Spirit of the Afflicted. |
| 1603 Florio Montaigne iii. x. (1632) 571 Who *emprelate themselves even to the heart and entrailes. |
2. Verbs
f. em- + verb, with additional sense of
in, or simply with more or less intensive force.
† embias;
† embribe;
† embruise;
† embubble;
† emplight;
† empromise.
| 1682 A. Behn Roundheads ii. i, A..mind *embyass'd in affairs of blood. |
| 1611 Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. ix. ix. 27 Five thousand Markes, with which the Queene Dowager of France had (as he said) *embribed him. |
| c 1570 Treas. Amadis de Gaule (Bynneman) 279 My *embrused brest. |
| 1652 Benlowes Theophila v. xc. Like diamonds thaw'd to Air, *embubble forth in streams. |
| c 1860 S. Bamford in Harland Lanc. Lyrics 14 She *emplighteth her vow. |
| c 1540 tr. Polyd. Vergil's Eng. Hist. (Camd.) I. 140 The dowghter of Offa..was *empromised him to espouse. |
3. Participial
adjs. f. em- +
n. +
-ed, with the sense ‘furnished with’:
embastioned,
embeadled,
empimpled.
| 1832 E. Roberts Oriental Sc. 49 Each tower- *embastion'd citadel. |
| 1859 Sala Tw. round Clock (1861) 194 Oxford Street, with its *embeadled colonnade. |
| 1839 Blackw. Mag. XLV. 354 [A toper's] *empimpled proboscis. |
(For words beginning with
em- not found in their alphabetical place, or included in this article, see
im-.)