What does "emu" mean?
A large flightless bird native to Australia, Dromaius novaehollandiae.
Emu
/ˈiːmjuː/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A large flightless bird native to Australia, Dromaius novaehollandiae.
- Grammar: emu is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: dromaius novaehollandiae, electromagnetic unit, emu novaehollandiae, flightless bird.
- Useful contrasts: flighted bird, flying bird.
- Usage evidence: The formal name for the spacesuit used on the International Space Station is the Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or EMU.
How to use "emu"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "emu" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "emu" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "emu" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "emu" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "emu" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "dromaius novaehollandiae" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "emu", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A large flightless bird native to Australia, Dromaius novaehollandiae.
"[page 59] The Emu, though not ſo as large as the oſtrich, is only ſecond to it in magnitude. It is by much the largeſt bird in the New Continent; and is generally found to be ſix feet high, meaſuring from its head to the ground. […] [page 60] [T]he emu runs with ſuch a ſwiftneſs, that the fleeteſt dogs are thrown out in the purſuit."
- 2 Initialism of electromagnetic unit. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
"A bar magnet NS has poles of strength 144 emu, 5 cm apart."
- 3 Clipping of emulator. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal
"Saw this article for playing downloadable games on GBA. It's an official Nintendo product in Japan, and thought it might be useful for Nintendo to release actual emus and some of their older game properties (beyond the $20 classic series)."
- 4 Initialism of English metric unit (“1/360,000-th of a centimetre, or, 1/914400-th of an inch”). abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 5 large Australian flightless bird similar to the ostrich but smaller wordnet
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 A cassowary (genus Casuarius). obsolete
"[page 1] 1. EGGES. Caſſawary, or Emeu, vide Aldrov: p. 542. Harveum, G.A. p. 61. […] [page 3] 4. CLAWES. […] A legge and claw of the Caſſawary or Emeu that dyed at S. James’s, Weſtminſter."
- 7 Initialism of electric multiple unit. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism
"The Government has thrown a lifeline to Alstom's Derby Works, with an offer of an order for ten Class 345 nine-car electric multiple units (EMUs) for the Elizabeth line - but only if the 'price is right'."
- 8 any of various systems of units for measuring electricity and magnetism wordnet
- 9 Alternative form of emu or e.m.u.; Initialism of electromagnetic unit. alt-of, alternative, countable, uncountable
- 10 Initialism of engine management unit. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 11 Initialism of extravehicular mobility unit (“spacesuit”). abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
- 12 Initialism of economic and monetary union. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
Proper Noun
- 1 A constellation or asterism from Australian aborigine cultures, a dark constellation pattern formed by an arrangement of dark nebulae in the sky, blotting out background stars, appearing akin to the emu (giant bird of Australia).
- 2 Initialism of European Monetary Union. European-Union, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 3 A locality in the Shire of Loddon, Shire of Central Goldfields and the Shire of Northern Grampians, north western Victoria, Australia
- 4 Initialism of Eastern Mennonite University. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
flighted birdflying bird
Example
"The formal name for the spacesuit used on the International Space Station is the Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or EMU."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "emu"?
Common synonyms include: dromaius novaehollandiae, electromagnetic unit, emu novaehollandiae, flightless bird, magpie, ratite.
How do you use "emu" in a sentence?
The formal name for the spacesuit used on the International Space Station is the Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or EMU.
How do you pronounce "emu"?
Pronounced /ˈiːmjuː/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Probably from Portuguese ema (“(originally) cassowary; giant rhea; (now) ostrich”).
Etymology 2
From e(lectro)m(agnetic) u(nit).
Etymology 3
From emu(lator).
Etymology 4
From emu (“ratite”). Calque of Australian aboriginal languages name of the sky pattern, named after the giant bird of Australia, for which it appears akin to.