Emit

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /iˈmɪt/

Definitions

1. To release or send out something such as light, sound, gas, or radiation from a source
2. To discharge or produce something such as light, sound, or energy from a specific origin
3. To generate or exude elements like particles, waves, or molecules into the surrounding environment

Etymology: Latin "ēmittō" was built from "ex," meaning "out," and "mittō," meaning "send," so the core sense is simply "send out." English borrowed the word directly from this Latin verb, and its early meaning was the plain act of sending something forth, not specifically sending out light. The sense "send out light" is the one the dictionary records for today's verb, which narrows that broad idea of sending out to radiation from a source. The root "mittō" is the same verb behind many familiar English words. Its past participle "missus" gave us "missile" and "mission," both things sent off to reach a target or accomplish a task. "Emit" shares this ancestry with "transmit," "admit," and "submit," each pairing "mittō" with a different preposition to change the direction of the sending.

Synonyms: release, discharge, exude, radiate, give off

Antonyms: absorb, retain, withhold, suppress, contain