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. sb., pa. pple., or ppl. adj.).
a. f. em- + sb., ‘to put (something) into or upon what is denoted by the sb.’; also ‘to put what is denoted by the sb. 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 armor; 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 Fair, i. Mad t’ *embag their limbs.
1639. T. Goodwin, Aggravation Sinne, 5. The least dramme 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, Lenten 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.
1693. Urquhart, Rabelais, III. lii. 422. I had *embottled them?
1708. J. Philips, Cyder, II. 70. Firmest Fruit, Embottled (long as…).
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.
1746. Francis, trans. Horace, Sat., II. iii. III. 245–7. That you … in the Capitol *embronz’d may stand.
1593. Nashe, Christ’s T. (1613), 145. Their breasts they *embuske vp on hie.
1596. Fitz-Geffrey, Sir F. Drake (1881), 26. Statelie shanks *embuskind by the Muses.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, 22. The red herring … *empals our sage senatours or Ephors, 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, Princess, 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- + sb. 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 sb.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, Lenten 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. Mrs. Behn, Roundheads, II. i. 17. 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, Theoph., V. xcix. 79. 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. trans. Polyd. Vergil’s Eng. Hist. (Camd.), I. 140. The dowghter of Offa … was *empromised him to espouse.
3. Participial adjs. f. em- + sb. + -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, 184. 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-.)
