em
em Lexical Profile
em Game Scores & Validity
• noun
In typography and digital design, a relative unit of measurement equal to the currently specified point size of a typeface.
"The graphic designer indented the first line of each paragraph by two ems."
The name of the thirteenth letter of the English alphabet (M or m).
"The child learned how to spell out the phonetic name of the letter em."
Word Nuance & Usage
In typography, an 'em' is equal to the current point size (often the approximate width of a capital M), whereas an 'en' is exactly half the width of an 'em'.
• Rhymes for em
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'em', derived from Latin 'em', the phonetic spelling of the name of the thirteenth letter of the Roman alphabet; the typographic unit originated because the metal block holding an uppercase M was traditionally as wide as it was tall.