Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - emergency

(emergencies) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. An emergency is an unexpected and difficult or dangerous situation, especially an accident, which happens suddenly and which requires quick action to deal with it. He deals with emergencies promptly... The hospital will cater only for emergencies. = crisis N-COUNT 2. An emergency action is one that is done or arranged quickly and not in the normal way, because an emergency has occurred. The Prime Minister has called an emergency meeting of parliament... She made an emergency appointment. ADJ: ADJ n 3. Emergency equipment or supplies are those intended for use in an emergency. The plane is carrying emergency supplies for refugees... They escaped through an emergency exit and called the police. ADJ: ADJ n