Meanings
emery1
plural emeries
- uncountableusuallygeographyAn impure type of corundum, often used for sanding or polishing.
It took me from nine to ten days to grind and polish it ready for parabolising and silvering. I did this by hand labour with the aid of emery, but without a lathe. I finally used rouge instead of emery in grinding down the glass, until I could see my face in the mirror quite plain.
1884, Samuel Smiles, Men of Invention and Industry
present singular third person emeries · participle present emerying · participle past emeried · past emeried
- transitiveTo coat with emery.
Emery2
alternative Amery · alternative Amory · alternative Emory
- A surname transferred from the given name.
- A male given name from the Germanic languages, today often transferred back from the surname.
- A female given name transferred from the surname, of 2000s usage, also associated with the mineral emery.
- A place in the United States:
- An unincorporated community in Northfield Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan.
- A ghost town in Dover Township, Fulton County, Ohio.
- A minor city in Hanson County, South Dakota.
- A town in Emery County, Utah.
- A town in Price County, Wisconsin.
- Synonym of Humbermede, Toronto, Canada.
Synonyms: Humbermede, Toronto, Canada
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
emery · noun, verb
- Italiansmeriglio
- Old Frenchesmeril
- Frenchémeri
- Englishemery
From French émeri, from Old French esmeril, from Italian smeriglio.
More words from French, Old French, Italian
Full word history & related roots →Emery · proper noun
- Old High GermanHeimrich
- Old High Germanrīhhi“ruler”
- Proto-Germanic*amal“vigor, bravery”
- EnglishEmery
From medieval Germanic personal names, either a variant of Amory, from Amalric, Proto-Germanic *amal (“vigor, bravery”) (compare *ammōną) + Old High German rīhhi (“ruler”), or of Henry, from Old High German Heimrich, from heim (“home”) + rīhhi (“ruler”).
More words from Proto-Germanic, Old High German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans amaril
- amarilmineral
Ancient Greek σμύρις
- σμύρις (smúris)mineral
Arabic سُنْبَاذَج
- سُنْبَاذَج (sunbāḏaj)mineral
Bulgarian шмиргел
- шмиргел (šmirgel)mineral
Catalan esmeril, esmerilar
- esmerilmineral
- esmerilarTo sand or polish with emery
Chinese Mandarin 埃默里
- 埃默里 (Āimòlǐ)male given name
Czech smirek, smyrek
- smirekmineral
- smyrekmineral
Danish smergel
- smergelmineral
Dutch amaril
- amarilmineral
Esperanto smirgo, smirgi
- smirgomineral
- smirgiTo sand or polish with emery
Finnish smirgeli
- smirgelimineral
French émeri, Émeric
- émerimineral
- Émericmale given name
- Aymericmale given name
German Schmirgel, Emmerich
- Schmirgelmineral
- Emmerichmale given name
Greek σμύριδα
- σμύριδα (smýrida)mineral
Hebrew שָׁמִיר
- שָׁמִיר (šāmīr)mineral
Hindi एमरी
- एमरी (emrī)mineral
Hungarian Imre
- Imremale given name
Irish éimear
- éimearmineral
Italian smeriglio, spoltiglio
- smerigliomineral
- spoltigliomineral
- Amerigomale given name
Japanese 金剛砂
- 金剛砂 (kongōsa)mineral
Korean 금강사
- 금강사 (geumgangsa)mineral
Polish szmergiel, szlifować papierem ściernym
- szmergielmineral
- szlifować papierem ściernymTo sand or polish with emery
- pokrywać szmerglemTo coat with emery
- pokryć szmerglemTo coat with emery
- Emerykmale given name
Portuguese esmeril
- esmerilmineral
Romanian șmirghel
- șmirghelmineral
Russian нажда́к
- нажда́к (naždák)mineral
Slovak šmirgeľ
- šmirgeľmineral
Spanish esmeril, esmerilar
- esmerilmineral
- esmerilarTo sand or polish with emery
Swedish smärgel
- smärgelmineral
Tagalog esmeril
- esmerilmineral
Thai กากกะรุน, กากรุน
- กากกะรุน (gàak-gà-run)mineral
- กากรุน (gàak-run)mineral
Turkish zımpara
- zımparamineral
Ukrainian нажда́к
- нажда́к (naždák)mineral
Vietnamese đá nhám
- đá nhámmineral
Welsh llathrlwch, emeri
- llathrlwchmineral
- emerimineral
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
emery. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emery
“emery.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emery. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “emery,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emery.
Source: emery on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.