en
(ɛn) n (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding)
printing a unit of measurement, half the width of an em. Also called:
nut See also
ennage
EN
(in Britain)
abbreviation for1. (Medicine) enrolled nurse
2. English Nature
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
en
(ɛn)
n. 1. the letter N, n.
2. a space that is half the width of an em.
en-1
, a prefix forming verbs that have the general sense “to cause (a person or thing) to be in” the place, condition, or state named by the stem; more specifically, “to confine in or place on” (entomb); “to cause to be in” (enrich; enslave; entrust); “to restrict,” typically with the additional sense “on all sides, completely” (encircle; enclose; entwine). This prefix is also attached to verbs in order to make them transitive, or to give them a transitive marker if they are already transitive (enkindle; enliven; enshield).
Also, before labial consonants, em-. Compare be-, in-2. [Middle English < Old French < Latin
in- in-
2]
en-2
, a prefix meaning “within, in,” occurring in loanwords from Greek: energy; enthusiasm.
Also, before labial consonants, em-. [(< Latin) < Greek; c.
in-
1,
in-
2]
-en1
, a suffix formerly used to form transitive and intransitive verbs from adjectives (fasten; harden; sweeten), or from nouns (heighten; lengthen; strengthen).
[Middle English, Old English -n-, as in Middle English fast-n-en, Old English fǣst-n-ian to make fast, fasten]
-en2
, a suffix used to form adjectives of source or material from nouns: ashen; golden; oaken.
[Middle English, Old English; c. Old High German
-īn, Latin
-īnus; compare
-ine1]
-en3
, a suffix used to mark the past participle in many strong and some weak verbs: taken; proven.
[Middle English, Old English; c. German -en, Old Norse -inn]
-en4
, a suffix used in forming the plural of some nouns: brethren; children; oxen.
[Middle English; Old English -an, case ending of n-stem nouns, as in naman oblique singular, and nominative and acc. pl. of nama name]
-en5
, a diminutive suffix: kitten; maiden.
[Middle English, Old English, from neuter of
-en2]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.