imp
[ imp ]
/ ɪmp /
noun
a little devil or demon; an evil spirit.
a mischievous child.
Archaic. a scion or offshoot of a plant or tree.
Archaic. an offspring.
verb (used with object)
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.
Archaic. to add a piece to; mend or repair.
Nearby words
immutable, imnsho, imo, imogen, imogene, imp, imp., imp. gal., impact, impact adhesive, impact crater
Origin of imp
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
Definition for imp (2 of 6)
IMP
International Match Point.
Definition for imp (3 of 6)
imp.
1in the first place.
Origin of imp.
1From the Latin word imprīmīs
Definition for imp (4 of 6)
imp.
2Definition for imp (5 of 6)
Origin of Imp.
1From the Latin word Imperātor
Definition for imp (6 of 6)
Origin of Imp.
2From the Latin word Imperātrīx
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for imp
British Dictionary definitions for imp (1 of 3)
imp
/ (ɪmp) /
noun
a small demon or devil; mischievous sprite
a mischievous child
verb
(tr) falconry to insert (new feathers) into the stumps of broken feathers in order to repair the wing of a hawk or falcon
Word Origin for imp
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
imperative
imperfect
imperial
imprimatur
British Dictionary definitions for imp (3 of 3)
Imp.
abbreviation for
Imperator
Imperatrix
Imperial
Word Origin for Imp.
(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
Word Origin and History for imp
imp
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper