em

em · noun¹

Attested since 1808. In typography, the em is named after the em quadrat (later called em quad), from m quadrat, a metal type used in letterpress typesetting, which is as wide as the point size of the font.

em · pronoun²

See 'em.

em · pronoun³

Coined by Christine M. Elverson by removing the "th" from them, perhaps influenced by the pre-existing em/'em, now often perceived as apheretic forms of them (though originally unrelated).

em · interjection⁴

Onomatopoeic. Compare um.

em · noun⁵

1. Ukrainian · borrowed fromем
2. Russian · borrowed fromэм
3. English todayem

From Russian эм (em), Ukrainian ем (em), etc.