emergency - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

• emergence (archaic)

Borrowed from Medieval Latin emergentia, from Latin emergens, present participle of emergo, equivalent to emergent +‎ -cy or emerge +‎ -ency. Doublet of emergence.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɪˈmɜː(ɹ).dʒən.si/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɪˈmɝ.d͡ʒən.si/, /iˈmɝ.d͡ʒən.si/, /əˈmɝ.d͡ʒən.si/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /əˈmɜː(ɹ).dʒən.si/
• Hyphenation: e‧mer‧gen‧cy
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)dʒənsi

emergency (plural emergencies)

1. A situation which poses an immediate risk and which requires urgent attention.

   Cardiac arrest is an emergency and if you find someone in cardiac arrest you should call 999 immediately.

2. The department of a hospital that treats emergencies.

   • 2009, “Restless Heart Syndrome”, in 21st Century Breakdown, performed by Green Day:

     I've got a really bad disease
     It's got me begging on my hands and knees
     So take me to emergency
     Cause something seems to be missing

3. A person brought in at short notice to replace a member of staff, a player in a sporting team, etc.
   • November 2 2014, Daniel Taylor, "Sergio Agüero strike wins derby for Manchester City against 10-man United," guardian.co.uk

     Van Gaal responded by replacing Adnan Januzaj with Carrick and, in fairness, the emergency centre-half did exceedingly well given that he has not played since May.

4. (attributive) Arising from or used in an emergency.

   • 2021 December 29, Dominique Louis, “Causal analysis: crashworthiness at Sandilands”, in RAIL, number 947, page 33:

     We also found that the only emergency egress from the tram was by smashing the front or rear windscreens, and that emergency lighting had failed when the tram overturned.

5. (archaic) The quality of being emergent; sudden or unexpected appearance; an unforeseen occurrence.
6. (euphemistic) A critical urge to urinate or defecate.

• (hospital department): ER, casualty, emerg

• emerge
• emergence

• fire department
• police