Part 706

Empress cloth, a cloth for ladies' dresses, either wholly of wool, or with cotton warp and wool weft. It resembles merino, but is not twilled.

Em*print" (?), v. t. [Obs.] See Imprint.

Em*prise" (?), n. [OF. emprise, fr. emprendre to undertake; pref. em- (L. in) + F. prendre to take, L. prehendere, prendere; prae before + a verb akin to E. get. See Get, and cf. Enterprise, Impresa.] [Archaic] 1. An enterprise; endeavor; adventure. Chaucer.

In brave pursuit of chivalrous emprise.

Spenser.

The deeds of love and high emprise.

Longfellow.

2. The qualifies which prompt one to undertake difficult and dangerous exploits.

I love thy courage yet and bolt emprise; But here thy sword can do thee little stead.

Milton.

Em*prise", v. t. To undertake. [Obs.] Sackville.

Em*pris"ing (?), a. [From Emprise, v. t.] Full of daring; adventurous. [Archaic] T. Campbell.

Em*pris"on (?), v. t. [Obs.] See Imprison.

||Em`pros*thot"o*nos (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; forward + &?; to draw.] (Med.) A drawing of the body forward, in consequence of the spasmodic action of some of the muscles. Gross.

Emp"te (?), v. t. To empty. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Emp"ti*er (?; 215), n. One who, or that which, empties.

Emp"ti*er, compar. of Empty.

Emp"ti*ness, n. [From Empty.] 1. The state of being empty; absence of contents; void space; vacuum; as, the emptiness of a vessel; emptiness of the stomach.

2. Want of solidity or substance; unsatisfactoriness; inability to satisfy desire; vacuity; hollowness; the emptiness of earthly glory.

3. Want of knowledge; lack of sense; vacuity of mind.

Eternal smiles his emptiness betray.

Pope.

The sins of emptiness, gossip, and spite.

Tennyson.

Emp"tion (?), n. [L. emptio, fr. emere to buy.] The act of buying. [R.] Arbuthnot.

Emp"tion*al (?), a. Capable of being purchased.

Emp"ty (?; 215), a. [Compar. Emptier (?); superl. Emptiest.] [AS. emtig, æmtig, æmetig, fr. æmta, æmetta, quiet, leisure, rest; of uncertain origin; cf. G. emsig busy.] 1. Containing nothing; not holding or having anything within; void of contents or appropriate contents; not filled; -- said of an inclosure, as a box, room, house, etc.; as, an empty chest, room, purse, or pitcher; an empty stomach; empty shackles.

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