imp.

¹

abbreviation

1. in the first place.

Imp.

²

abbreviation

1. Emperor.

imp.

³

abbreviation

1. imperative.

2. imperfect.

3. imperial.

4. impersonal.

5. implement.

6. import.

7. important.

8. imported.

9. importer.

10. imprimatur.

11. imprint.

12. improper.

13. improved.

14. improvement.

Imp.

⁴

abbreviation

1. Empress.

imp

⁵

[imp]

noun

1. a little devil or demon; an evil spirit.

2. a mischievous child.

   Synonyms: devil, brat, rascal, scamp

3. Archaic.,  a scion or offshoot of a plant or tree.

4. Archaic.,  an offspring.

verb (used with object)

1. Falconry.

   1. to graft (feathers) into a wing.

   2. 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.

IMP

⁶

1. International Match Point.

imp.

¹

abbreviation

1. imperative

2. imperfect

3. imperial

4. imprimatur

Imp.

²

abbreviation

1. Imperator

2. Imperatrix

3. Imperial

imp

³

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of imp.¹

From the Latin word imprīmīs

Origin of imp.²

From the Latin word Imperātor

Origin of imp.³

From the Latin word Imperātrīx

Origin of imp.⁴

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of imp.¹

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

Origin of imp.²

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

Example Sentences

He works hard for his laughs, sometimes too hard, but he’s an endearing imp — an overwhelmed freelancer trying to survive the unforgiving gig economy of his age.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The juvenile insouciance of Blenkin’s trillionaire is one, a grinning imp who waves his bare feet around in the way of someone who means every offense.

Read more on Salon

New York Times critic Stanley Kauffmann called her performance in the 1966 “It’s a Bird... It’s a Plane... It’s Superman” “pure imp”: “I wish she were in every musical and revue.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“The little imp speaks,” said Rasseem.

Read more on Literature

Which, in turn, sat on top of an imp’s tiny, pointed head.

Read more on Literature