emery

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em·er·y / ˈem(ə)rē/ • n. a grayish-black mixture of corundum and magnetite, used in powdered form as an abrasive. ∎  [as adj.] denoting materials coated with emery for polishing, smoothing, or grinding: emery paper.ORIGIN: late 15th cent.: from French émeri, from Old French esmeri, from Italian smeriglio, based on Greek smuris, smiris ‘polishing powder.’

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