English Dictionary: Imp | by the DICT Development Group |
4 results for Imp | |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Imp \Imp\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Imped}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Imping}.] [AS. impian to imp, ingraft, plant; akin to Dan. ympe, Sw. ympa, OHG. impf[d3]n, impit[d3]n, G. impfen. See {Imp}, n.] 1. To graft; to insert as a scion. [Obs.] --Rom. of R. 2. (Falconry) To graft with new feathers, as a wing; to splice a broken feather. Hence, Fig.: To repair; to extend; to increase; to strengthen to equip. [Archaic] Imp out our drooping country's broken wing. --Shak. Who lazily imp their wings with other men's plumes. --Fuller. Here no frail Muse shall imp her crippled wing. --Holmes. Help, ye tart satirists, to imp my rage With all the scorpions that should whip this age. --Cleveland. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Imp \Imp\, n. [OE. imp a graft, AS. impa; akin to Dan. ympe, Sw. ymp, prob. fr. LL. impotus, Gr. [?] engrafted, innate, fr. [?] to implant; [?] in + [?] to produce; akin to E. be. See 1st {In-}, {Be}.] 1. A shoot; a scion; a bud; a slip; a graft. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 2. An offspring; progeny; child; scion. [Obs.] The tender imp was weaned. --Fairfax. 3. A young or inferior devil; a little, malignant spirit; a puny demon; a contemptible evil worker. To mingle in the clamorous fray Of squabbling imps. --Beattie. 4. Something added to, or united with, another, to lengthen it out or repair it, -- as, an addition to a beehive; a feather inserted in a broken wing of a bird; a length of twisted hair in a fishing line. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] | |
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (15Feb98) [foldoc]: | |
IMP 1. 2. 1604}. ["Experience with an Extensible Language", Edgar T. Irons, CACM 13(1):31-39, Jan 1970]. 3. 4. 5. (1996-04-07) |