Emissary

n. [Lat. emissarius, from emittere, emissum, to send out, from e, out, and mittere, to send; Fr. émissaire, It. emissario, Sp. emisario.] 1. A person sent on a mission; especially, a person sent on a private message or business; a secret agent employed to advance, in a covert manner, the interests of his employers. Buzzing emissaries fill the ears Of listening crowds with jealousies and fears. Dryden. 2. (Anat.) A vessel through which excretion takes place; an excretory; — used chiefly in the plural. Syn. — EMISSARY, SPY. A spy is one who enters an enemy's camp or territories to learn the condition of the enemy; an emissary may be a secret agent employed not only to detect the schemes of an opposing party, but to influence their councils. A spy must be concealed, or he suffers death; an emissary may in some cases be known as the agent of an adversary without incurring similar hazard.