imp

[ imp ]
See synonyms for imp on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a little devil or demon; an evil spirit.

  2. a mischievous child.

  1. Archaic. a scion or offshoot of a plant or tree.

  2. Archaic. an offspring.

verb (used with object)
  1. Falconry.

    • to graft (feathers) into a wing.

    • to furnish (a wing, tail, etc.) with feathers, as to make good losses or deficiencies and improve powers of flight.

  2. Archaic. to add a piece to; mend or repair.

Origin of imp

1
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

Other words for imp

Other definitions for IMP (2 of 6)

IMP

  1. International Match Point.

Other definitions for imp. (3 of 6)

imp.1

abbreviation
  1. in the first place.

Origin of imp.

3
From the Latin word imprīmīs

Other definitions for imp. (4 of 6)

imp.2

abbreviation
  1. imperative.

  2. imperfect.

  1. imperial.

  2. impersonal.

  3. implement.

  4. import.

  5. important.

  6. imported.

  7. importer.

  8. imprimatur.

  9. imprint.

  10. improper.

  11. improved.

  12. improvement.

Other definitions for Imp. (5 of 6)

Imp.1

abbreviation
  1. Emperor.

Origin of Imp.

5
From the Latin word Imperātor

Other definitions for Imp. (6 of 6)

Imp.2

abbreviation
  1. Empress.

Origin of Imp.

6
From the Latin word Imperātrīx

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for imp (1 of 3)

imp

/ (ɪmp) /


noun
  1. a small demon or devil; mischievous sprite

  2. a mischievous child

verb
  1. (tr) falconry to insert (new feathers) into the stumps of broken feathers in order to repair the wing of a hawk or falcon

Origin of imp

1
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

British Dictionary definitions for imp. (2 of 3)

imp.

abbreviation for
  1. imperative

  2. imperfect

  1. imperial

  2. imprimatur

British Dictionary definitions for Imp. (3 of 3)

Imp.

abbreviation for
  1. Imperator

  2. Imperatrix

  1. Imperial

Origin of Imp.

3
(for sense 1) Latin: Emperor; (for sense 2) Latin: Empress

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012