Emit Definition & Meaning

American

British

Usage

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms emit American [ih-mit] / ɪˈmɪt /

verb (used with object)

emitted, emitting

1. to send forth (liquid, light, heat, sound, particles, etc.); discharge.

2. to give forth or release (a sound).

   He emitted one shrill cry and then was silent.

3. to utter or voice, as opinions.

4. to issue, as an order or a decree.

5. to issue formally for circulation, as paper money.

emit British / ɪˈmɪt /

verb

1. to give or send forth; discharge

   the pipe emitted a stream of water

2. to give voice to; utter

   she emitted a shrill scream

3. physics to give off (radiation or particles)

4. to put (currency) into circulation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does emit mean? Emit means to release or discharge something, such as gas, liquid, heat, sound, light, or radiation.The process of emitting is called emission. Emission can also refer to something that has been emitted. A specific example of an emission is the exhaust emitted from cars (in the U.S., such emissions are regulated through emissions tests). This exhaust is just one form of carbon emissions—greenhouse gases emitted from various sources that are known to contribute to global warming and climate change.In things like TVs and light bulbs, the term LED stands for “light-emitting diode,” a semiconductor device that emits light when conducting current.Emit usually implies that things are being released in a passive way, but some senses of the word are more active.Emit sometimes specifically means to give off or make a sound, as in My cat emitted the worst sound when I accidentally stepped on his tail. It can also be used in a somewhat figurative way meaning to say or voice, as in She certainly emitted her opinion. Example: Collectively, volcanoes emit carbon dioxide at far lower levels than cars and airplanes.

Other Word Forms

• reemit verb (used with object)
• self-emitted adjective
• unemitted adjective
• unemitting adjective

Etymology

Origin of emit

First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin ēmittere “to send forth,” from ē- e- 1 + mittere “to let go, send”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This tagging process relies on a photoconvertible dye, which is a fluorescent molecule that changes the color of light it emits after exposure to light.

From Science Daily

However, the positions of much dimmer galaxies and clouds of gas that also emit Lyman alpha light have remained mostly hidden.

From Science Daily

As these nuclei returned to their lowest energy states, they emitted gamma rays that provided clues about their internal structure.

From Science Daily

One example is the tanker Kavomaleas, which emitted a signal east of the straight on March 3 and then another in the Gulf about 14 hours later.

From Barron's

I would pet him on top of the head and take the stick from him—he would emit a low, gentle growl when I took the stick.

From Literature

Related Words

• beam
• belch
• breathe
• emanate
• exhale
• expend
• exude
• give off
• ooze
• pour
• radiate
• secrete
• spew
• spill
• spit
• transmit
• utter
• vent

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.