em|er|y

em|er|y «EHM uhr ee, EHM ree», noun.

a hard, dark rock which is used for grinding, smoothing, and polishing metals or stones: »

Emery is essentially an intimate mixture of granular corundum and magnetite, and in powdered form has long been used as emery paper, emery cloth and emery wheels (W. R. Jones).

╂[< Middle French émeri < Old French emmery < Italian smeriglio < Vulgar Latin smericulum < Greek smýris abrasive powder]