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impost

1 American  
[im-pohst] / ˈɪm poʊst /

noun

  1. a tax; tribute; duty.

  2. a customs duty.

  3. Horse Racing. the weight assigned to a horse in a race.


verb (used with object)

  • imposts,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • imposted,
    past participle,  past
  • imposting
    present participle
  1. to determine customs duties on, according to the kind of imports.

impost 2 American  
[im-pohst] / ˈɪm poʊst /

noun

Architecture.
  1. the point of springing of an arch; spring.

  2. an architectural feature immediately beneath this point.


impost 1 British  
/ ˈɪmpəʊst /

noun

  1. a tax, esp a customs duty

  2. horse racing the specific weight that a particular horse must carry in a handicap race

"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

verb

  1. (tr) to classify (imported goods) according to the duty payable on them

"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
impost 2 British  
/ ˈɪmpəʊst /

noun

  1. architect a member at the top of a wall, pier, or column that supports an arch, esp one that has a projecting moulding

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future


Etymology

Origin of impost1

1560–70; < Medieval Latin impostus a tax, noun use of Latin impostus, variant of impositus imposed; see imposition

Origin of impost2

1655–65; < French imposte < Italian imposta < Latin: feminine of impostus (past participle); see impost 1


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

He tells clients in a note that a sale for A$500 million plus appropriate brand value, with only a modest capital gains tax impost, would be positively received by investors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026

In January 1790, his “Report on the Public Credit” revived Robert Morris’s earlier call for a funded public debt, guaranteed by the impost and new taxes on coffee, tea, and imported alcohol.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 18, 2018

She defied a penalty at Lingfield last time with ease and another 6lb impost for that victory is unlikely to stop her such was the manner of her success.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 23, 2013

As reported by Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Crosby was not tame in his criticism of the hits and the league’s decision to not impost supplementary discipline.

From New York Times ● Jan. 10, 2011

The highter the impost, the greater the risk of injury, a significant concern for Seabiscuit, who had a history of leg trouble.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Article I, Section 8 allows Congress to “lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises.”

From Washington Post ● Feb. 14, 2019

In policy matters, he proved obtuse, recommending, in one of his first initiatives, a blanket cancellation of all trade imposts.

From The New Yorker ● Sep. 6, 2018

The Constitution’s uniformity provision, which requires that all duties, imposts, and excises be uniform across the United States, can be viewed in the same light.

From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2017

He and others, including former President Madison, argued that Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution gave Congress the power to “lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises.”

From Textbooks ● Dec. 30, 2014

First, they concealed the horse’s superb form from track racing secretaries, who assigned imposts.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

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