EMI S 



EMBRA'CERY. In law, an attempt to cor- 

 rupt a jury. 



EMBR AS'IJRE (Fr.) , from ebraser, to widen; 

 an aperture in a parapet through which 

 cannon are fired, called also an embattle- 

 ment. In architecture, the enlargement of 

 the aperture of a door or window towards 

 the inside of the wall. 



EMBROI'DERY, figured work wrought 

 with silver or gold, or both, on silk, cloth, 

 stuffs, or muslins. The art was till lately 

 a handicraft practised by ladies of rank, 

 on account of its elegance, but an inge- 

 nious machine, invented by M. Hulmann 

 of Mulhausen, has brought it within the 

 factory system. By this machine one 

 female may attend to 140 needles doing 

 the work of 20 hand sewers. 



EM'ERALD, a gem of a beautiful green 

 colour, called by the Latins Smaragdus, 

 from ffMMovSos- Under this name are 



comprehended the prismatic emerald, the 

 enclose of Werner and Hatty, and the 

 rhombohedral emerald, which contains 

 two varieties, the precious emerald, and 

 beryl or common emerald. The consti- 

 tuents of the emerald are 65 alumina, 16 

 glucina, 13 oxide of chromium with some 

 lime and iron. 



EMER'GENT, Lat. emergens, rising above 

 the water; applied, 1. To a star at the 

 moment it goes out of the sun's beams so 

 as to become visible. - 2. To the year or 

 epoch from which any computation of 

 time is made. 



EMEKI'TI (Lat.), the public functionaries 

 of Rome who had retired from their coun- 

 try's service on half-pay. 



EMER'SION, from ftnergo. The term is 

 Chiefly used in astronomy, for the appear- 

 ance of the sun and moon after they have 

 undergone an eclipse. The minutes or 

 scruples of emersion, as applied to a lunar 

 eclipse, is the arc of the moon's orbit 

 which she has passed through from the 

 time she begins to emerge from the earth's 

 shadow. The term emersion is also used 

 for the re-appearance of a star which had 

 been hid by the sun 's ray s. See EMERGENT. 



EM'ERY, a mineral substance, a sub- 

 species of corundum, used in powder for 

 polishing hard bodies, as metals, glass, 

 &c. It contains alumina (about 60 per 

 cent.J, silica, and iron. It is imported in 

 large quantities from the Island of Naxos, 

 in which it occurs abundantly at Cape 



EM'ETINE, a substance obtained from 

 the ipecacuanha root, of whose emetic 

 properties it is believed to be the sole 

 cause. It forms transparent brownish-red 

 scales. Half a grain is a dose. 



EM'INENCE, Lat. eminentia, elevation ; 

 an honorary title given to cardinals since 

 the time of Urban VIII., previous to 

 which they were st)ld illuatriiiimi and 



3 EMU 



EMINEN'TIAL EQUA'TION, a name for a 

 certain assumed equation, which involves 

 itself in several particular equations. 



E'MIR, a title of dignity among the 

 Turks, denoting a prince. The title was 

 first borne by the Caliphs, but when they 

 assumed the title of Sultan, that of Emir 

 remained to their children. At length it 

 was attributed to all who were deemed 

 descendants of Mohammed by his daugh- 

 ter Fatimah. 



EM'ISSORY, Lat. emissorius, from emitto, 

 an epithet applied by physiologists to 

 ducts which convey fluids out of the 

 body, especially to certain veins. 



EMOLLES'CENCE, emollescens, softening, 

 a term used in metallurgy for that degree 

 of softening in a fusible body which alters 

 its shape ; the first and lowest degree of 

 fusibility. 



EMPA'LEMENT, from in and palus, a 

 stake; a fencing. In heraldry, a con- 

 junction of coats of arms, pale-wise. In 

 botany, an old name for the calyx or 

 flower-cup. 



EM'PHYMA, from i/ut,fvffcta, to inflate ; a 

 tumour originating below the integu- 

 ments, and unaccompanied with inflam- 

 mation ; such as fleshy, bony, and other 

 morbid growths. 



EMPHYTEC'SIS, tf&Qtvo'iS' In law, a 

 contract by which property is given to 

 be possessed for ever, or for a long term, 

 on condition it shall be improved, and 

 a small annual rent paid to the granter. 



EMPLEC'TION, i{jvrXi%ea, I entangle. In 

 architecture, a method of constructing 

 walls, in which the front stones were 

 wrought fair and filled in with stones be- 

 hind. 



EMPROSTHOT'ONOS, tpure*Qt9i forwards, 

 rtivca, I draw ; a spasmodic action of the 

 muscles by which the body is drawn 

 forwards. 



EMPYE'SIS, from tfjurueu, to suppurate; 

 the name given by Dr. Good to a genus 

 of diseases characterised by phlegmonous 

 pimples, which gradually fill with a puru- 

 lent fluid ; e.g., small- pox. 



EMPY'REAL, from (v and trui>, fire ; 

 formed of the element of fire. Empyreal 

 air is a name given by Scheele to oxygen 

 gas. 



EMPYRE'OM. In theology, the highest 

 heaven where the pure element of fire, 



wyej , is supposed to subsist. 



EMPYHEU'MA, i/airvffiiif&ct from irug ; the 

 peculiar and disagreeable smell produced 

 by the burning of animal and vegetable 

 oily matters inclose vessels, or under such 

 circumstances as prevent the accession of 

 air to a considerable part of the mass, 

 and occasion an imperfect combustion. 



E'MU. In ornithology, the simthio eat- 

 tuarius of New Holland. 



