EMS

American  

abbreviation

1. emergency medical service.

2. Digital Technology. enhanced message service: a system for sending long or formatted text messages, images, music, etc., from one cell phone to another.

3. European Monetary System.

4. express mail service: an international service offered by the postal operators of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

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EMS ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. European Monetary System

2. enhanced messaging service: a system used for sending text messages containing special text formatting, animations, etc, to and from mobile phones

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Ems ² British  

/ ɛmz /

noun

1. a town in W Germany, in the Rhineland-Palatinate: famous for the Ems Telegram (1870), Bismarck's dispatch that led to the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War. Pop: 9666 (2003 est)

2. a river in W Germany, rising in the Teutoburger Wald and flowing generally north to the North Sea. Length: about 370 km (230 miles)

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Example Sentences

The tech is not a replacement for traditional exercise, he said, though he cited research that shows EMS may offer “modest to moderate improvements in muscle strength,” especially when combined with movement.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

What’s the physical sensation of an EMS session?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Because EMS lacks familiar markers for exhaustion—it’s hard to gauge effort with involuntary muscle contractions—people can unwittingly overdo it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

A report last year said an EMS specialist’s vehicle covered over 1,000 miles for seemingly personal reasons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

The EMS tech slammed the door and turned to Rain.

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman