# EMS

/ˈiˈɛˈmɛs/ (US) · /ˈɛmz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ems
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. emergency services

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

Stands for Emergency Medical Services. This is the system that provides ambulances and urgent medical care before a patient reaches the hospital.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Emergency Medical Services. Refers to the system of coordinated response and medical care provided by paramedics and technicians in the prehospital environment.

- When the car crashed, someone called EMS and an ambulance arrived within minutes.
- The city's EMS department reported a significant decrease in response times after implementing the new satellite-based dispatch system.

### 2. express mail

noun · CEFR B2

Stands for Express Mail Service. It is a fast international post service for sending letters and packages quickly between countries.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Express Mail Service. An international expedited postal service offered by member nations of the Universal Postal Union.

- I sent the contract via EMS to make sure it reached Tokyo by Tuesday.
- The vendor recommended using EMS for the international shipment to ensure the package could be tracked across borders.

### 3. environmental management

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Technical

Stands for Environmental Management System. It is a set of rules and processes a company uses to reduce its impact on the environment.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Environmental Management System. A framework that helps an organisation achieve its environmental goals through consistent review and evaluation of its operations.

- The factory updated its EMS to comply with the new laws on water pollution.
- The corporation's EMS was audited by an external agency to verify that their carbon reduction targets were being met.

### 4. computing memory

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

Stands for Expanded Memory Specification. This was an old way for early computers to use more memory than they were normally allowed.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Expanded Memory Specification. A system used in early personal computing to bypass the 640 KB memory limit of the DOS operating system.

- Old computer games sometimes required EMS to run properly on those early machines.
- Before the advent of modern operating systems, developers relied on EMS to provide the additional memory required for complex spreadsheet calculations.

## Examples

- The witness called EMS immediately after the accident.
- When the hiker collapsed, his friends contacted EMS to coordinate a helicopter rescue from the trail.
- Modern EMS protocols have significantly improved survival rates for cardiac arrest by bringing advanced life support directly to the patient's side before they reach the hospital.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.