Also 6 emerye, (ymree), 7–8 emeril(l, 7 emerick. [a. F. émeri, émeril, OF. esmeril = Sp. esmeril, It. smeriglio:—late L. smericulum, f. Gr. σμῆρις (σμῖρις, σμῦρις) a powder used for polishing.]
1. A coarse variety of corundum, used for polishing metals, stones and glass.
1481–90. Howard Househ. Bks. (1844), 379. My Lord toke to … the armore to by with emery xxd.
1505. Ld. Treas. Acc. Scotl., in Pitcairn, Crim. Trials, I. *123. Dichting of their steil sadilles with ymree.
1577. Wills & Inv. N. C. (1835), I. 415. Viij pounde emerye.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., II. 225. That most hard and sharpe stone Smyris (which we tearme Emerill).
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., i. 2. Iernsey … whose … ground The hardned Emerill hath.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., II. iii. 69. It [the Magnet] attracteth the Smyris or Emery in powder.
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc. (1703), 15. Make it yet smoother with Emerick, Tripoli, &c.
1759. Wilson, in Phil. Trans., LI. 336. I then, with a little emery, made that edge, which was plus, rough again.
1769. De Foe’s Tour Gt. Brit., III. 349. The sharp and hard Stone Smyris or Emeril.
1816. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, I. 33. Emery is … employed as the cutting powder.
1858. Greener, Gunnery, 217. Polish the barrels with with water and a little washed emery.
2. (See quot.)
1789. Mills, Strata Irel., in Phil. Trans., LXXX. 97. An irregular bed of iron ore, called emery by the inhabitants.
3. attrib. and Comb., as emery-stone; also emery-cloth, -paper, cloth or paper covered with emery-powder, to be used for polishing or cleaning metals, etc.; emery-file (see quot.); emery-grinder, an emery-wheel mounted on a stand, to be used as a grind-stone; emery-powder, ground emery, hence a vb., to rub with emery-powder; emery-roller, a roller coated with emery; emery-stick (see quot.); emery-wheel, a wheel made of lead, or of wood covered with leather, coated with emery, and used for polishing.
1884. F. J. Britten, Watch & Clockm., 101. *Emery File … a solid stick of Emery used as a file.
1772. Phil. Trans., LXII. 360. The stem … made very smooth with *Emery paper.
1812. Examiner, 27 Dec., 824/2. Blacking and emery-paper-manufacturers.
18[?]. Oxford Bible Helps, 126. The corundum … which when ground is known to us as *emery powder.
1885. Mrs. Riddell, Mitre Court, I. iv. 86. She had scrubbed, blackleaded … and *emery-powdered for that gentleman.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 274/1. An *emery roller is geared upon the … main cylinder.
1884. F. J. Britten, Watch & Clockm., 101. *Emery stick … a stick of wood round which Emery paper is glued.
1610. W. Folkingham, Art of Survey, I. iii. 5. *Emeril-stones.
1765. Bowles, in Phil. Trans., LVI. 231. Great blocks of emery-stone.
1864. Rawlinson, Anc. Mon., II. vii. 187. The shamir, or emery-stone.
1873. J. Richards, Wood-working Factories, 58. Grindstones, *emery wheels, buffing wheels.
