IMP
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imp¹
- /ɪmp/ US, UK
Rhymes with -ɪmp
Where it comes from
From Middle English impen, ympen (“to plant; (figuratively) to bury; to graft; to add to, insert, put into, set in; to mend (a falcon’s feather) by attaching a new feather on to the broken stump”), from Old English impian, ġeimpian (“to graft”), from Proto-West Germanic *impōn (“to graft”), from Vulgar Latin *imputō (“to graft”), from Ancient Greek ἔμφῠτος (émphŭtos, “implanted; planted”), from ἐμφῠ́ω (emphŭ́ō, “to implant”, from ἐν- (en-, prefix meaning ‘in’) + φῠ́ω (phŭ́ō, “to bring forth, produce; to grow”, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to appear; to become; to grow”))) + -τος (-tos).
verb imps · imping · imped
- To engraft or plant (a plant or part of one, a sapling, etc.).
- To graft or implant (something other than a plant); to fix or set (something) in. That headleſſe tyrants tronke he reard from ground, / And, having ympt the head to it agayne, / Vpon his vſuall beaſt it firmely bound, / And made it ſo to ride, as it aliue was found.
- To engraft (a feather) on to a broken feather in a bird's wing or tail to repair it; to engraft (feathers) on to a bird, or a bird's wing or tail. I have known feathers so imped that the eye could not discern the place of juncture, and it was difficult even to discover it by passing the thumb-nail down the shaft of the imped feather.
- To provide (someone or something) with wings, hence enabling them or it to soar. With thee / Let me combine, / And feel this day thy victorie: / For, if I imp my wing on thine, / Affliction ſhall advance the flight in me.
- To add to or unite an object with (something) to lengthen the latter out or repair it; to eke out, enlarge, strengthen.
imp²
- /ɪmp/ US, UK
Rhymes with -ɪmp
Where it comes from
From Middle English impe, ympe (“tree branch; shoot, sprig; graft, scion; young tree, sapling, seedling; tree”) [and other forms], from Old English impa, impe (“shoot, sprig; graft, scion; young tree, sapling, seedling”), from impian, ġeimpian (“to graft”) (see etymology 1).
noun imps
- A small, mischievous sprite or a malevolent supernatural creature, somewhat comparable to a demon but smaller and less powerful, formerly regarded as the child of the devil or a demon (see sense 3.2). "Yes, there are a great, great many coming after us; at least a score," said the lad.—"Well, that's the troll," said the horse; "he is coming after us with his imps."
- A mischievous child. Concourſe, and noiſe, and toil, he ever fled; / Nor cared to mingle in the clamorous fray / Of ſquabbling imps; but to the foreſt ſped, / Or roam'd at large the lonely mountain's head; […]
- A baby Tasmanian devil. When they are upset, their ears blush a furious crimson, resembling red horns and adding to their diabolical image. (Baby devils, packed four to a pouch, are known as imps.)
- A supporter (or less commonly, a player) of the Lincoln City Football Club.
- A young shoot of a plant, a tree, etc.; a sapling; also, a part of a plant used for grafting; a graft. Þai sett hem doun al þre / Vnder a fair ympetre, / And wel sone þis fair quene / Fel on slepe opon þe grene.
- An offspring or scion, especially of a noble family; (generally) a (usually male) child; a (young) man. And thou moſt dreaded impe of higheſt Ioue, / Faire Venus ſonne, that with thy cruell dart / At that good knight ſo cunningly didſt rove, / That glorious fire it kindled in his heart, / Lay now thy deadly Heben bow apart, / And with thy mother milde come to my ayde: […]
- Something added to or united with another to lengthen it out or repair it (such as an eke or small stand on which a beehive is placed, or a length of twisted hair in a fishing line).
imp³
- /ɪmp/ US, UK
Rhymes with -ɪmp
Where it comes from
From implementer.
noun imps
- Synonym of god (“person who owns and runs a multi-user dungeon”).
IMP⁴
noun
- Initialism of inosine monophosphate.inosine monophosphate
- Initialism of integral membrane protein.integral membrane protein
- Initialism of individual meal package.individual meal package