noun
1.
a little devil or demon; an evil spirit.
2.
a mischievous child.
3.
Archaic. a scion or offshoot of a plant or tree.
4.
Archaic. an offspring.
verb (used with object)
5.
Falconry.
a.
to graft (feathers) into a wing.
b.
to furnish (a wing, tail, etc.) with feathers, as to make good losses or deficiencies and improve powers of flight.
6.
Archaic. to add a piece to; mend or repair.
00:10
Imp
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is skedaddle. Does it mean:
| to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly. |
| to run away hurriedly; flee. |
Origin:
before 900; (noun) Middle English impe, Old English impa, impe shoot, graft < Late Latin impotus, imputus grafted shoot < Greek émphytos planted, implanted, verbal adjective of emphŷein to implant (em- em-2 + phŷein to bring forth); (v.) Middle English impen to plant, graft, Old English impian, geimpian, derivative of the noun (compare Old High German impfōn, impitōn > German impfen to inoculate); sense “demon” < phrase imp of the devil
before 900; (noun) Middle English impe, Old English impa, impe shoot, graft < Late Latin impotus, imputus grafted shoot < Greek émphytos planted, implanted, verbal adjective of emphŷein to implant (em- em-2 + phŷein to bring forth); (v.) Middle English impen to plant, graft, Old English impian, geimpian, derivative of the noun (compare Old High German impfōn, impitōn > German impfen to inoculate); sense “demon” < phrase imp of the devil
Synonyms
2. scamp, rascal, brat, devil.
2. scamp, rascal, brat, devil.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
IMP
International Match Point.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To imp
Collins
World English Dictionary
imp (ɪmp) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a small demon or devil; mischievous sprite |
| 2. | a mischievous child |
| —vb | |
| 3. | (tr) falconry to insert (new feathers) into the stumps of broken feathers in order to repair the wing of a hawk or falcon |
| [Old English impa bud, graft, hence offspring, child, from impian to graft, ultimately from Greek emphutos implanted, from emphuein to implant, from phuein to plant] | |
| imp. | |
| —abbreviation for | |
| 1. | imperative |
| 2. | imperfect |
| 3. | imperial |
| 4. | imprimatur |
| Imp. | |
| —abbreviation for | |
| 1. | Imperator |
| 2. | Imperatrix |
| 3. | Imperial |
| [(for sense 1) Latin: Emperor; (for sense 2) Latin: Empress] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
imp
O.E. impe, impa "young shoot, graft," from impian "to graft," probably an early W.Gmc. borrowing from V.L. *imptus, from L.L. impotus "implanted," from Gk. emphytos, verbal adj. formed from emphyein "implant," from em- "in" + phyein "to plant." Sense of "child, offspring" (late 14c.) came from transfer
of word from plants to people, with notion of "newness" preserved. Modern meaning "little devil" (1580s) is from common use in pejorative phrases like imp of Satan.
"Suche appereth as aungelles, but in very dede they be ymps of serpentes." ["The Pilgrimage of Perfection," 1526]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary
IMP definition
1.
2.
["Experience with an Extensible Language", Edgar T. Irons, CACM 13(1):31-39, Jan 1970].
3.
4.
5.
(1996-04-07)
American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
| imp impression |
| IMP instrument mounting platform |
imp.
|
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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