emu

EMU is also short for Electric Multiple Unit the generic term for an electrically powered suburban or metro train where a separate locomotive is not required because the traction drive and traction control system is contained under various cars in the train. See also Railroad Glossary.

The Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is a large, flightless bird from Australia. It is the second-biggest bird in Australia and the third-biggest bird in the world (only the ostrich and cassowary are bigger). The emu is also very fast; it can run up to 30 mph. Emus also swim very well.

This huge bird lives in flocks in grasslands, savannahs, and the Australian bush. The emu's life span is 10-20 years.

Emus grow to be about 6 feet tall and weigh about 110 pounds. This is bigger than many adult humans. Chicks hatch from greenish-brown eggs which the male incubates.

Emus are primarily herbivores. They eat grass, seeds, flowers, young plants, and fruit. They also eat some insects.

A company that makes electronic music equipment, chiefly rackmount tone modules and samplers. I used to lust after Emu products like there was no tomorrow. Late last year, I finally bought one, an Audio Production Studio.

Emu created the soundfont technology used by Creative, and Creative subsequently acquired them. Creative then decided to redeploy Emu's engineering teams onto different projects, which left some of the Emu projects with no staff. One result of this is that the drivers for the Audio Production Studio are currently languishing, which is a crying shame because I want the new version.

People in the electronic music world see a problem with the acquisition because the target markets of Creative and Emu are so different. Emu targets musicians. producers and audiophiles. Creative targets gamers and the average computer user. So many people feel that Creative pulled Emu's engineers off of projects targeted at Emu's market and put them onto projects target at Creative's. They fear that this will mean the end of innovative products from Emu. So far, Emu's support for its rackmount systems still seems pretty good (but I probably wouldn't be aware of grumbling in that area, so I'd take that with a grain of salt) but their decision not to release the APS drivers has made a lot of APS owners very angry.

E"mu (?), n. [Cf. Pg. ema ostrich, F. 'emou, 'emeu, emu.] Zool.

A large Australian bird, of two species (Dromaius Novae-Hollandiae and D. irroratus), related to the cassowary and the ostrich. The emu runs swiftly, but is unable to fly.

[Written also emeu and emew.]

⇒ The name is sometimes erroneously applied, by the Brazilians, to the rhea, or South American ostrich.

Emu wren. See in the Vocabulary.

 

© Webster 1913.