emory
emory Lexical Profile
• noun
An English surname and gender-neutral given name of Germanic and Old French origin.
"They decided to name their newborn son Emory after his great-grandfather."
American Informal short form for Emory University, a private research university located in Atlanta, Georgia.
"She was accepted into the pre-med program at Emory and will move to Atlanta in the fall."
A nonstandard or archaic spelling of emery, a dark, granular variety of the mineral corundum used as an abrasive for grinding and polishing.
"The metalworker used a fine emory cloth to buff the rusted steel surface to a smooth finish."
Word Nuance & Usage
When used as a common noun for a mineral abrasive, 'emory' is a nonstandard variant spelling of 'emery' (as in 'emery board'). As a proper noun, 'Emory' is a given name, surname, or short for Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
• Rhymes for emory
Word Origin & Etymology
As a proper name, Emory derives from the Old French personal name Aimery, which comes from a Germanic compound meaning 'work-ruler' or 'home-ruler'. As a variant spelling of the mineral 'emery', it traces back through Old French émeri to Ancient Greek smēris ('polishing powder').