[ad. late L. ēmergentia: see prec. and -ENCY.]
1. The rising of a submerged body above the surface of water; = EMERGENCE 1. Now rare.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., IV. vi. 194. A Tyrant … to prevent the emergencie of murdered bodies did use to cut off their lungs.
1693. Phil. Trans., XVII. 689. They [the Goodwin Sands] … may be of late Emergency.
1880. A. R. Wallace, Isl. Life, ix. 169. Repeated submergencies and emergencies of the land.
† 2. The process of issuing from concealment, confinement, etc.; = EMERGENCE 2. Obs.
c. 1645. Howell, Fam. Lett. (1650), II. 4. Congratulat his … emergency from that course he was plunged in.
1656. H. More, Antid. Ath., Pref. Gen. (1712), 14. The … immediate emergency of Vitality from Spirit.
1663. Boyle, Colours (1670), 231–2 (J.). The emergency … of Colours upon Coalition of the Particles of such Bodies … is very well worth our attentive Observation.
† b. Astron. = EMERGENCE 2 b. Obs. rare.
1762. Dunn, in Phil. Trans., LII. 579. I had compared it with the fixed stars, and the Moon, after emergency from the aforementioned clouds.
† 3. The arising, sudden or unexpected occurrence (of a state of things, an event, etc.). Obs.
1665. Glanvill, Sceps. Sci., xxi. 132. Most of our Rarities have been found out by casual emergency.
1755. Magens, Insurances, II. 2. The Emergency of an unexpected Case.
1776. Gibbon, Decl. & F., I. 383. The emergency of war very frequently required their presence on the frontiers.
4. concr. a. (the ordinary mod. use): A juncture that arises or ‘turns up’; esp. a state of things unexpectedly arising, and urgently demanding immediate action.
a. 1631. Donne, Select. (1840), 107. The Psalms minister instruction, and satisfaction, to every man, in every emergency and occasion.
1764. Burn, Poor Laws, 196. Relief on sudden emergencies.
1821. Byron, Mar. Fal., V. i. 183. On great emergencies The law must be remodell’d or amended.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. iv. 342. The bishop, beautifully equal to the emergency, arose bland and persuasive.
1867. Smiles, Huguenots Eng., ii. (1880), 22. On an emergency he would even undertake to measure land.
¶ Hence sometimes used for: Urgency, pressing need. ‘A sense not proper’ (J.).
1716. Addison, Free-holder, No. 10, ¶ 6 (J.). In any Case of Emergency [he] could employ the whole Wealth of his Empire.
Mod. It is a case of great emergency.
† b. pl. Casual or contingent profits. Obs.
a. 1662. Heylin, Laud, I. (1671), 151. Rents, Profits, and Emergencies belonging to a Bishop of Bath and Wells.
5. attrib., esp. in Emergency man: (in Ireland) an occasional bailiff’s officer, recruited for special service, esp. in evictions.
1881. Lett., 14 Dec., in Reid, Life of W. E. Forster (1888), II. viii. 377. The Emergency Committee … was a purely Orange emanation.
1883. Ann. Reg., I. 1. Three Emergency men [were] attacked by an armed party.
