em
/em/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A unit of measurement in typography: An "em" is a unit of measurement in typesetting and digital typography, equal to the currently specified point size. Historically, it was the width of the capital letter "M" in a given typeface, but it is now defined as a relative unit equal to the font size.
- A square space in printing: In traditional printing, an "em" (or "em quad") refers to a square space or piece of type, the width of which is equal to the point size of the font. It is used for creating indents and spacing.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- Set the paragraph indent to 2 ems. (This means the indent is twice the current font size.)
- In CSS,
1emis equal to the current font size of the element. - The printer inserted an em space to create a proper indent.
Advanced Usage
- "em dash": A punctuation mark (—) that is one em wide, used to indicate a break in thought or a parenthetical statement.
- She was considering the offer—a very generous one—before deciding.
- "em space": A typographical space that is one em wide.
- Format the document with an em space after each paragraph heading.
Variants and Related Words
- Em quad (n): Another term for an "em" space, especially in traditional printing.
- En (n): A unit of measurement equal to half of an em.
- Emphasis (n): Special importance or prominence. (Note: This is a related concept in typography, often indicated by styles like bold or italic, but it is not a variant of "em".)
Synonyms
- Mutton quad (n, historical/printing): A printers' term for an "em quad".
- Quad (n, printing): A general term for a block of type metal used for spacing; an "em quad" is a specific type.
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
(Not applicable for this noun.)
Related Idioms
(Not applicable for this noun.)
Noun
- a linear unit (1/6 inch) used in printing
- a quad with a square body
- since `em quad' is hard to distinguish from `en quad', printers sometimes called it a `mutton quad'