emission

[ih-mish-uhn]

noun

1. an act or instance of emitting.

   the emission of poisonous fumes.

2. something that is emitted; discharge; emanation.

3. an act or instance of issuing, as paper money.

4. Electronics.,  a measure of the number of electrons emitted by the heated filament or cathode of a vacuum tube.

5. an ejection or discharge of semen or other fluid from the body.

   Synonyms: ejaculation

6. the fluid ejected or discharged.

   Synonyms: ejaculate

emission

/ ɪˈmɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of emitting or sending forth

2. energy, in the form of heat, light, radio waves, etc, emitted from a source

3. a substance, fluid, etc, that is emitted; discharge

4. a measure of the number of electrons emitted by a cathode or electron gun See also secondary emission thermionic emission

   at 1000°C the emission is 3 mA

5. physiol any bodily discharge, esp an involuntary release of semen during sleep

6. an issue, as of currency

Other Word Forms

• emissive adjective
• nonemission noun
• reemission noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of emission¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from Middle French or directly from Latin ēmissiōn- (stem of ēmissiō ), equivalent to ēmiss(us), past participle of ēmittere “to send forth” ( ē- “from, out of” + mit-, stem of mittere “to send” + -tus past participle suffix) + -iōn- noun suffix; emit, e- ¹, -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of emission¹

C17: from Latin ēmissiō, from ēmittere to send forth, _emit

Example Sentences

The party has long claimed it will be able to make considerable government savings from entirely scrapping attempts by the government to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

From BBC

The courts ruled that emissions from burning the oil and gas must be considered by ministers when deciding whether to give projects the go-ahead.

From BBC

“It’s a gargantuan amount of emissions,” said Jack McDonald, senior analyst of energy policy and science for the environmental group Oilfield Witness.

From Salon

There are no tailpipe emissions, and electric lorries also draw their power increasingly from renewable sources of energy.

From BBC

The head of the oil and gas regulator says cutting the sector's carbon emissions is not "a platitude or a soundbite" but presents significant commercial benefits.

From BBC

Related Words

• discharge 
• radiation 

When To Use

What does emission mean?

An emission is something that has been emitted—released or discharged. In general, emissions consist of things like gas, liquid, heat, sound, light, and radiation.Emissions can come from natural sources or from machines. A specific example of an emission is the exhaust from cars (in the U.S., such emissions are regulated through emissions tests). This exhaust is just one form of carbon emissions—greenhouse gases from various sources that are known to contribute to global warming and climate change.Emission can also refer to an instance or the process of emitting, as in This filter is designed to reduce the emission of light. Example: Carbon dioxide emissions from volcanoes are much lower than those from cars and airplanes.