† 1. The action of sending forth. Obs. in gen. sense.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 181. Emission or sending away.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., VI. vi. 304 (L.). Populosity, which necessarily requireth transmigration & emission of Colonies.
1657. Hobbes, Absurd Geom., Wks. 1845, VII. 398. The authority … of the Apostles in the emission of preachers to the infidels.
1827. G. S. Faber, Origin of Expiatory Sacrifice, 197, note. Noah seems to have twice selected that holyday for the emission of the dove.
† 2. The issuing, publication (of a book, a notice).
1751. Johnson, Rambl., No. 169, ¶ 11. The tardy emission of Pope’s compositions.
1779. Johnson, Life Pope, Wks. IV. 40. The emission … of the Proposals for the Iliad.
3. The issuing or setting in circulation (bills, notes, shares, etc.). Also concr.
1773. Gentl. Mag., XLIII. 295. All the emissions of their paper-currency … are forged.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 345. Proposing the emission of assignats.
1865. H. Phillips, Amer. Paper Curr., II. 36. A subsequent emission of bills of credit.
4. The action of giving off or sending out (chiefly what is subtle or imponderable, light, heat, gases, odors, sounds, etc.). † Formerly also the sending forth (of the soul) in death; the allowing ‘the animal spirits’ to escape; and fig. the ‘pouring out,’ ‘breathing forth’ (of affection, etc.).
a. 1612. Donne, Βιαθανατος (1644), 190. This actuall emission of his soule, which is death.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 766 (L.). Tickling also causeth Laughter. The Cause may be, the Emission of the Spirits.
1660. Jer. Taylor, Duct. Dubit., I. iv. Wks. IX. 161. The voice was … effective … in the direct emission.
1663. South, Serm., 9 Nov., 24 (L.). Affection … flamed up … in collateral emissions of charity to its Neighbour.
1751. Johnson, Rambl., No. 146, ¶ 9. Growing fainter … at a greater distance from the first emission.
1833. Sir J. Herschel, Astron., x. 311. The tail of the great comet of 1680 … occupied only two days in its emission from the comet’s body! Ibid. (1853), Pop. Lect. Sc., i. § 35 (1873), 26. Puffs of smoke, at every moment of their emission from the crater.
1859. G. Wilson, Gateways Knowl. (ed. 3), 77. The emission of fragrance.
1871. Blackie, Four Phases, I. 71. The emission of sparks of light.
b. Optics. Theory of emission, Emission theory: the theory that light consists in the emission of streams of imponderable material particles from luminous bodies.
1831. Brewster, Optics, xv. § 94. 134. The Newtonian theory of light, or the theory of emission.
1880. Bastian, Brain, 62–3. An ‘emission’ theory serves to explain the diffusion of odours, though it will not hold for the diffusion of light.
5. concr. That which is emitted; an emanation, effluvium.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., iii. 155. The Magnetical Emissions … are … Corporeal Atoms.
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 218. Warm and benign Emissions of the Sun.
1871. Tyndall, Fragm. Sc. (ed. 6), I. ii. 43. We obtain the value of the purely luminous emission.
6. Phys. = L. emissio seminis.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., VII. xvi. 371. There is no generation without a joynt emission.
1665. Glanvill, Sceps. Sci., 34. The other Instances of corporeal Emissions.
1885. Law Reports Appeal Cases X. 176.
