Embargo Em·bar"go noun ; plural Embargoes . [ Spanish , from embargar to arrest, restrain; prefix em- (L. in ) + Spanish barra bar, akin to French barre bar. See Bar .] An edict or order of the government prohibiting the departure of ships of commerce from some or all of the ports within its dominions; a prohibition to sail.

» If the embargo is laid on an enemy's ships, it is called a hostile embargo ; if on the ships belonging to citizens of the embargoing state, it is called a civil embargo .

Embargo Em·bar"go transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Embargoed ; present participle & verbal noun Embargoing .] To lay an embargo on and thus detain; to prohibit from leaving port; -- said of ships, also of commerce and goods.

Embark Em·bark" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Embarked ; present participle & verbal noun Embarking .] [ French embarquer ; prefix em- (L. in ) + barque bark: confer Spanish embarcar , Italian imbarcare . See Bark . a vessel.] 1. To cause to go on board a vessel or boat; to put on shipboard.

2. To engage, enlist, or invest (as persons, money, etc.) in any affair; as, he embarked his fortune in trade.

It was the reputation of the sect upon which St. Paul embarked his salvation.

South.

Embark Em·bark" intransitive verb 1. To go on board a vessel or a boat for a voyage; as, the troops embarked for Lisbon.

2. To engage in any affair.

Slow to embark in such an undertaking.

Macaulay.

Embarkation Em`bar·ka"tion noun 1. The act of putting or going on board of a vessel; as, the embarkation of troops.

2. That which is embarked; as, an embarkation of Jesuits. Smollett.

Embarkment Em·bark"ment noun [ Confer French embarquement .] Embarkation. [ R.] Middleton.

Embarrass Em·bar"rass (ĕm*băr"r a s) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Embarrassed (- r a st); present participle & verbal noun Embarrassing .] [ French embarrasser (cf. Spanish embarazar , Portuguese embaraçar , Pr. barras bar); prefix em- (L. in ) + Late Latin barra bar. See Bar .] 1. To hinder from freedom of thought, speech, or action by something which impedes or confuses mental action; to perplex; to discompose; to disconcert; as, laughter may embarrass an orator.

2. To hinder from liberty of movement; to impede; to obstruct; as, business is embarrassed ; public affairs are embarrassed .

3. (Com.) To involve in difficulties concerning money matters; to incumber with debt; to beset with urgent claims or demands; -- said of a person or his affairs; as, a man or his business is embarrassed when he can not meet his pecuniary engagements.

Syn. -- To hinder; perplex; entangle; confuse; puzzle; disconcert; abash; distress. -- To Embarrass , Puzzle , Perplex . We are puzzled when our faculties are confused by something we do not understand. We are perplexed when our feelings, as well as judgment, are so affected that we know not how to decide or act. We are embarrassed when there is some bar or hindrance upon us which impedes our powers of thought, speech, or motion. A schoolboy is puzzled by a difficult sum; a reasoner is perplexed by the subtleties of his opponent; a youth is sometimes so embarrassed before strangers as to lose his presence of mind.

Embarrass Em·bar"rass noun [ French embarras . See Embarrass , transitive verb ] Embarrassment. [ Obsolete] Bp. Warburton.

Embarrassment Em·bar"rass·ment noun [ French embarrassement .] 1. A state of being embarrassed; perplexity; impediment to freedom of action; entanglement; hindrance; confusion or discomposure of mind, as from not knowing what to do or to say; disconcertedness.

The embarrassment which inexperienced minds have often to express themselves upon paper.

W. Irving.

The embarrassments tom commerce growing out of the late regulations.

Bancroft.

2. Difficulty or perplexity arising from the want of money to pay debts.

Embase Em·base" transitive verb [ Prefix em- + base , adjective or transitive verb : confer Old French embaissier .] To bring down or lower, as in position, value, etc.; to debase; to degrade; to deteriorate. [ Obsolete]

Embased the valleys, and embossed the hills.

Sylvester.

Alloy in coin of gold . . . may make the metal work the better, but it embaseth it.

Bacon.

Such pitiful embellishments of speech as serve for nothing but to embase divinity.

South.

Embasement Em·base"ment noun [ From Embase , transitive verb ] Act of bringing down; depravation; deterioration. South.

Embassade Em"bas·sade noun [ French ambassade . See Embassy .] An embassy. See Ambassade . [ Obsolete] Shak.

Embassador Em·bas"sa·dor noun [ French ambassadeur , Spanish embajador , Late Latin ambassiator , ambasciator . See Embassy , and confer Ambassador .] Same as Ambassador .

Stilbon, that was a wise embassadour ,
Was sent to Corinth.

Chaucer.

Myself my king's embassador will go.

Dryden.

Embassadorial Em·bas`sa·do"ri·al adjective [ Confer French ambassadorial .] Same as Ambassadorial .

Embassadress Em·bas"sa·dress noun [ Confer French ambassadrice .] Same as Ambassadress .

Embassadry Em·bas"sa·dry noun [ Confer Old French ambassaderie .] Embassy. [ Obsolete] Leland.

Embassage Em"bas·sage noun 1. An embassy. "He sent a solemn embassage ." Bacon.

Except your embassages have better success.

Motley.

2. Message; errand. Shak.

Embassy Em"bas·sy noun ; plural Embassies . [ Old French ambassée , embascée , Late Latin ambasciata , from ambasciare for ambactiare to go on a mission, from Latin ambactus vassal, dependent, of Celtic or German origin; confer W. amaeth husbandman, Goth. andbahts servant, German amt office, Old High German ambaht . Confer Ambassador .] 1. The public function of an ambassador; the charge or business intrusted to an ambassador or to envoys; a public message to; foreign court concerning state affairs; hence, any solemn message.

He sends the angels on embassies with his decrees.

Jer. Taylor.

2. The person or persons sent as ambassadors or envoys; the ambassador and his suite; envoys.

3. The residence or office of an ambassador.

» Sometimes, but rarely, spelled ambassy .

Embastardize Em·bas"tard·ize transitive verb [ Prefix em- + bastardize .] To bastardize. [ Obsolete]

Embathe Em·bathe" transitive verb [ Prefix em- + bathe . Confer Imbathe .] To bathe; to imbathe.

Embattail Em·bat"tail transitive verb [ See Embattle .] To furnish with battlements; to fortify as with battlements. [ Archaic]

To embattail and to wall about thy cause
With iron-worded proof.

Tennyson.

Embattle Em·bat"tle transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Embattled ; present participle & verbal noun Embattling .] [ Old French embataillier ; prefix em- (L. in ) + French bataille battle. See Battle , and confer Battlement .] To arrange in order of battle; to array for battle; also, to prepare or arm for battle; to equip as for battle.

One in bright arms embattled full strong.

Spenser.

Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world.

Emerson.

Embattle Em·bat"tle intransitive verb To be arrayed for battle. [ Obsolete]

Embattle Em·bat"tle transitive verb [ See Battlement .] To furnish with battlements. " Embattled house." Wordsworth.

Embattled Em·bat"tled adjective 1. Having indentations like a battlement. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

2. (Her.) Having the edge broken like battlements; -- said of a bearing such as a fess, bend, or the like.

3. Having been the place of battle; as, an embattled plain or field. J. Baillie.

Embattlement Em·bat"tle·ment noun 1. An intended parapet; a battlement.

2. The fortifying of a building or a wall by means of battlements.

Embay Em·bay" transitive verb [ Prefix em- + bay to bathe.] To bathe; to soothe or lull as by bathing. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Embay Em·bay" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Embayed ; present participle & verbal noun Embaying .] [ Prefix em- + 1st bay .] To shut in, or shelter, as in a bay.

If that the Turkish fleet
Be not ensheltered and embayed , they are drowned.

Shak.

Embayment Em·bay"ment noun A bay. [ R.]

The embayment which is terminated by the land of North Berwick.

Sir W. Scott.

Embeam Em·beam" transitive verb To make brilliant with beams. [ R.] G. Fletcher.

Embed Em·bed" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Embedded ; present participle & verbal noun Embedding .] [ Prefix em- + bed . Confer Imbed .] To lay as in a bed; to lay in surrounding matter; to bed; as, to embed a thing in clay, mortar, or sand.

Embedment Em·bed"ment noun The act of embedding, or the state of being embedded.

Embellish Em·bel"lish transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Embellished ; present participle & verbal noun Embellishing .] [ Middle English embelisen , embelisshen , French embellir ; prefix em- (L. in ) + bel , beau , beautiful. See Beauty .] To make beautiful or elegant by ornaments; to decorate; to adorn; as, to embellish a book with pictures, a garden with shrubs and flowers, a narrative with striking anecdotes, or style with metaphors.

Syn. -- To adorn; beautify; deck; bedeck; decorate; garnish; enrich; ornament; illustrate. See Adorn .

Embellisher Em·bel"lish·er noun One who embellishes.

Embellishment Em·bel"lish·ment noun [ Confer French embellissement .] 1. The act of adorning, or the state of being adorned; adornment.

In the selection of their ground, as well as in the embellishment of it.

Prescott.

2. That which adds beauty or elegance; ornament; decoration; as, pictorial embellishments .

The graces and embellishments of the exterior man.

I. Taylor.

Ember Em"ber noun [ Middle English emmeres , emeres , Anglo-Saxon ...myrie ; akin to Icelandic eimyrja , Danish emmer , Middle High German eimere ; confer Icelandic eimr vapor, smoke.] A lighted coal, smoldering amid ashes; -- used chiefly in the plural, to signify mingled coals and ashes; the smoldering remains of a fire. "He rakes hot embers ." Dryden.

He takes a lighted ember out of the covered vessel.

Colebrooke.

Ember Em"ber adjective [ Middle English ymber , Anglo-Saxon ymbren , ymbryne , prop., running around, circuit; ymbe around + ryne a running, from rinnan to run. See Amb- , and Run .] Making a circuit of the year of the seasons; recurring in each quarter of the year; as, ember fasts.

Ember days (R. C. & Eng. Ch.) , days set apart for fasting and prayer in each of the four seasons of the year. The Council of Placentia [ a.d. 1095] appointed for ember days the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the first Sunday in Lent, Whitsuntide, the 14th of September, and the 13th of December. The weeks in which these days fall are called ember weeks .

Ember-goose Em"ber-goose` noun [ Confer Norw. embergaas , hav-imber , hav-immer , Icelandic himbrin , himbrimi .] (Zoology) The loon or great northern diver. See Loon . [ Written also emmer-goose and imber-goose .]

Emberings Em"ber·ings noun plural Ember days. [ Obsolete]

Emberizidae Emberizidae noun a natural subfamily including buntings and some New World sparrows.
Syn. -- subfamily Emberizidae , subfamily Emberizinae .
[ WordNet 1.5]

Embetter Em·bet"ter transitive verb To make better. [ Obsolete]

Embezzle Em·bez"zle (ĕm*bĕz"z'l) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Embezzled (- z'ld); present participle & verbal noun Embezzling .] [ Norm. French embeseiller to destroy; confer Old French besillier to ill treat, ravage, destroy. Confer Bezzle .] 1. To appropriate fraudulently to one's own use, as property intrusted to one's care; to apply to one's private uses by a breach of trust; as, to embezzle money held in trust.

2. To misappropriate; to waste; to dissipate in extravagance. [ Obsolete]

To embezzle our money in drinking or gaming.

Sharp.

Embezzlement Em·bez"zle·ment noun The fraudulent appropriation of property by a person to whom it has been intrusted; as, the embezzlement by a clerk of his employer's money; embezzlement of public funds by the public officer having them in charge.

» Larceny denotes a taking, by fraud or stealth, from another's possession; embezzlement denotes an appropriation, by fraud or stealth, of property already in the wrongdoer's possession. In England and in most of the United States embezzlement is made indictable by statute.

Embezzler Em·bez"zler noun One who embezzles.

Embillow Em·bil"low intransitive verb To swell or heave like a wave of the sea. [ R.] Lisle.

Embiotocoid Em`bi·ot"o·coid adjective [ New Latin Embiotoca , the name of one genus + -oid .] (Zoology) Belonging to, or resembling, the Embiotocidæ . -- noun One of a family of fishes ( Embiotocidæ ) abundant on the coast of California, remarkable for being viviparous; -- also called surf fishes and viviparous fishes . See Illust. in Append.

Embitter Em·bit"ter transitive verb To make bitter or sad. See Imbitter .

Embitterment Em·bit"ter·ment noun The act of embittering; also, that which embitters.

Emblanch Em·blanch" transitive verb [ Prefix em- + 1st blanch .] To whiten. See Blanch . [ Obsolete] Heylin.

Emblaze Em·blaze" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Emblazed ; present participle & verbal noun Emblazing .] [ Prefix em- + 1st blaze .] 1. To adorn with glittering embellishments.

No weeping orphan saw his father's stores
Our shrines irradiate, or emblaze the floors.

Pope.

2. To paint or adorn with armorial figures; to blazon, or emblazon. [ Archaic]

The imperial ensign, . . . streaming to the wind,
With gems and golden luster rich emblazed .

Milton.

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