ems

IPA/ˌiː em ˈes/
KK[ˈiˈɛmˈɛs]IPA/ˌiː em ˈes/

ems — noun

1. a public system in the United States that provides emergency medical care and am

1.nounB1
Definition

a public system in the United States that provides emergency medical care and ambulance transport outside of hospitals, usually reached by calling the 911 phone number

Example

The EMS team arrived at the accident scene within eight minutes.

collocation: EMS team

Hana called 911 and an EMS ambulance was sent to her apartment.

Common collocations
  • EMS team
  • EMS worker
  • EMS system
  • EMS unit
  • EMS dispatch
  • call EMS
Synonyms
  • ambulance service

    a more general term used in British and other varieties of English; less specific than the US-focused EMS

  • paramedic service

    focuses on the medical professionals rather than the whole system

Usage Note

Commonly used without an article: 'She called EMS.' When referring to the organisation as a countable entity, 'the EMS' is used: 'He works for the EMS.' This sense is primarily associated with the US 911 emergency system.

Common Mistakes

The EMS team treated him at the hospital.
The EMS team treated him at the accident scene and then took him to the hospital.
EMS provides pre-hospital care and transport; hospital treatment is handled by hospital staff.

2. a system created by European Union countries to keep the exchange rates between

2.nounC1
Definition

a system created by European Union countries to keep the exchange rates between their different currencies within a fixed range, helping to create economic stability before the introduction of the euro in 1999

Example

The EMS helped EU countries keep their currency exchange rates stable during the 1990s.

After the EMS began, companies in Europe found it easier to trade across borders.

Usage Note

Always capitalised as EMS or E.M.S. in writing. This sense is mostly historical — the EMS was succeeded by the euro currency system after 1999.

Common Mistakes

The EMS was adopted by Asian countries.
The EMS was a European system that kept EU currencies stable.
The EMS was only used by members of the European Union, not by non-European countries.

3. a technology that lets mobile phone users send and receive messages containing p

3.nounB1
Definition

a technology that lets mobile phone users send and receive messages containing pictures, sound clips, animations, and longer text, going beyond the basic short text messages of standard SMS

Example

Zuri used EMS to send a picture of her new puppy to her cousin.

EMS + infinitive: used EMS to send

Before smartphones, EMS let mobile users share ringtones and small photos.

Common collocations
  • EMS message
  • EMS service
  • EMS standard
Synonyms
  • MMS

    Multimedia Messaging Service, a later and more capable standard that replaced EMS

Usage Note

EMS is an older standard that was largely replaced by MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) and later by messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Line.

Common Mistakes

I sent her an EMS on her birthday.
I used EMS to send her a birthday message.
EMS refers to the service or standard, not to an individual message.

ems — abbreviation

ems — noun

1. a waterway in northwestern Germany, roughly 370 kilometres in length, that runs

1.nounC2
Definition

a waterway in northwestern Germany, roughly 370 kilometres in length, that runs northward and meets the North Sea close to the port city of Emden

Example

The Ems river flows through the state of Lower Saxony before reaching the North Sea.

collocation: the Ems river

Sofie took photographs of the Ems valley during her cycling trip in northern Germany.

Usage Note

Always written with a capital E as 'the Ems' or 'the Ems river'. The definite article 'the' is typically used before the name: 'the Ems', 'the Ems valley'. In German the river is called 'die Ems' (feminine). This sense is a separate geographical proper noun, not related to the EMS abbreviations.

2. a German spa community on the banks of the Lahn river, officially called Bad Ems

2.nounC2
Definition

a German spa community on the banks of the Lahn river, officially called Bad Ems, famous for its thermal baths and historic health resorts that have attracted visitors since the early 1800s

Example

Theo and his family spent a weekend in Bad Ems enjoying the thermal baths.

Tourists visit Ems for its riverside walks and historic nineteenth-century buildings.

Synonyms
  • Bad Ems

    the official full name of the town, including the German spa prefix

Usage Note

The town is officially called Bad Ems (the prefix 'Bad-' meaning 'bath' or 'spa' in German). In English contexts it is sometimes simply referred to as 'Ems'. Always capitalised. This sense is a separate geographical proper noun, not related to the EMS abbreviations.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

EMS (Emergency Medical Service) is the broadest term, referring to the entire coordinated system of dispatchers, ambulances, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians, especially in the United States. 'Ambulance service' is a narrower term that focuses specifically on the vehicle transport aspect, whereas 'paramedic service' emphasises the medical professionals who provide treatment. 'Emergency response' is a wider category that includes fire, police, and rescue services in addition to medical help. In practical usage, someone might say 'EMS is on its way' when an ambulance and medical team have been dispatched, while 'ambulance service' would sound odd in that context because it sounds like a company name rather than an active response.

EMS ↗ambulance serviceparamedic serviceemergency response

Etymology

Old GermanicEnglishLatinGreek

EMS is a set of unrelated initialisms that were formed independently in different fields. The geographical name 'Ems' comes from an old Germanic river name. The European Monetary System (1979) and Enhanced Messaging Service (1990s) were both created as acronyms by European standards bodies. Emergency Medical Service has been abbreviated since at least the 1970s as the 911 emergency system developed in the US. Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome was abbreviated during the 1989 outbreak investigation. None of these senses share a historical root — the letters EMS happen to overlap by coincidence.