Impressionable Im·pres"sion·a·ble adjective [ Confer French
impressionnable .]
Liable or subject to impression; capable of being molded; susceptible; impressible. He was too impressionable ; he had too much of the temperament of genius.
Motley. A pretty face and an impressionable disposition.
T. Hook.
Impressionableness Im·pres"sion·a·ble·ness noun The quality of being impressionable.
Impressionism Im·pres"sion·ism noun [ French
impressionnisme .]
(Fine Arts) The theory or method of suggesting an effect or impression without elaboration of the details; -- a disignation of a recent fashion in painting and etching.
Impressionist Im·pres"sion·ist noun [ French
impressionniste .]
(Fine Arts) One who adheres to the theory or method of impressionism, so called.
Impressionistic Im·pres`sion·is"tic adjective Pertaining to, or characterized by, impressionism.
Impressionless Im·pres"sion·less adjective Having the quality of not being impressed or affected; not susceptible.
Impressive Im·press"ive adjective [ Confer F. impressif.]
1. Making, or tending to make, an impression; having power to impress; adapted to excite attention and feeling, to touch the sensibilities, or affect the conscience; as, an impressive discourse; an impressive scene. 2. Capable of being impressed. [ Obsolete]
Drayton. -
Im*press"ive*ly ,
adverb --
Im*press"ive*ness ,
noun
Impressment Im·press"ment noun The act of seizing for public use, or of impressing into public service; compulsion to serve; as, the impressment of provisions or of sailors. The great scandal of our naval service -- impressment -- died a protracted death.
J. H. Burton.
Impressor Im·press"or noun [ Late Latin , a printer.]
One who, or that which, impresses. Boyle.
Impressure Im·pres"sure noun [ Confer Old French
impressure , Late Latin
impressura .]
Dent; impression. [ Obsolete]
Shak.
Imprest Im·prest" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Imprested ;
present participle & verbal noun Impresting .] [ Prefix
im- +
prest : confer Italian
imprestare . See
Prest ,
noun ]
To advance on loan. Burke.
Imprest Im"prest noun [ Confer Italian
impresto ,
imprestito , Late Latin
impraestitum . See
Imprest ,
transitive verb , and
Impress compulsion to serve.]
A kind of earnest money; loan; -- specifically, money advanced for some public service, as in enlistment. Burke. The clearing of their imprests for what little of their debts they have received.
Pepys.
Imprevalence, Imprevalency Im·prev"a·lence, Im·prev"a·len·cy noun Want of prevalence. [ Obsolete]
Impreventability Im`pre·vent`a·bil"i·ty noun The state or quality of being impreventable. [ R.]
Impreventable Im`pre·vent"a·ble adjective Not preventable; inevitable.
Imprimatur Im`pri·ma"tur noun [ Latin , let it be printed.]
(Law) A license to print or publish a book, paper, etc.; also, in countries subjected to the censorship of the press, approval of that which is published.
Imprimery Im·prim"er·y noun [ French
imprimerie , from
imprimer to imprint.] [ Obsolete]
(a) A print; impression. (b) A printing establishment. (c) The art of printing.
Impriming Im·prim"ing noun A beginning. [ Obsolete] "Their springings and
imprimings ."
Sir H. Wotton.
Imprimis Im·pri"mis adverb [ Latin , for
in primis among the first, chiefly;
in in +
primus first.]
In the first place; first in order.
Imprint Im·print" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Imptrinted ;
present participle & verbal noun Imprinting .] [ Middle English
emprenten , French
empreint , past participle of
empreindre to imprint, from Latin
imprimere to impres, imprint. See 1st
In- ,
Print , and confer
Impress .]
1. To impress; to mark by pressure; to indent; to stamp. And sees his num'rous herds imprint her sands.
Prior. 2. To stamp or mark, as letters on paper, by means of type, plates, stamps, or the like; to print the mark (figures, letters, etc., upon something). Nature imprints upon whate'er we see,
That has a heart and life in it, "Be free."
Cowper. 3. To fix indelibly or permanently, as in the mind or memory; to impress. Ideas of those two different things distinctly imprinted on his mind.
Locke.
Imprint Im"print noun [ Confer French
empreinte impress, stamp. See
Imprint ,
transitive verb ]
Whatever is impressed or imprinted; the impress or mark left by something; specifically, the name of the printer or publisher (usually) with the time and place of issue, in the title- page of a book, or on any printed sheet. "That
imprint of their hands."
Buckle.
Imprison Im·pris"on transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Imprisoned ;
present participle & verbal noun Imprisoning .] [ Middle English
enprisonen , Old French
enprisoner , French
emprisonner ; prefix
en- (L.
in ) + F. & Old French
prison . See
Prison .]
1. To put in prison or jail; To arrest and detain in custody; to confine. He imprisoned was in chains remediless.
Spenser. 2. To limit, restrain, or confine in any way. Try to imprison the resistless wind.
Dryden. Syn. -- To incarcerate; confine; immure.
Imprison ment Im·pris"on ment noun [ Middle English
enprisonment ; French
emprisonnement .]
The act of imprisoning, or the state of being imprisoned; confinement; restraint. His sinews waxen weak and raw
Through long imprisonment and hard constraint.
Spenser. Every confinement of the person is an imprisonment , whether it be in a common prison, or in a private house, or even by foreibly detaining one in the public streets.
Blackstone. False imprisonment .
(Law) See under False . Syn. -- Incarceration; custody; confinement; durance; restraint.
Imprisoner Im·pris"on·er noun One who imprisons.
Improbability Im·prob`a·bil"i·ty noun ;
plural Improbabilities . [ Confer French
improbabilité .]
The quality or state of being improbable; unlikelihood; also, that which is improbable; an improbable event or result.
Improbable Im·prob"a·ble adjective [ Latin
improbabilis ; prefix
im- not +
probabilis probable: confer French
improbable . See
Probable .]
Not probable; unlikely to be true; not to be expected under the circumstances or in the usual course of events; as, an improbable story or event. He . . . sent to Elutherius, then bishop of Rome, an improbable letter, as some of the contents discover.
Milton. --
Im*prob"a*ble*ness ,
noun --
Im*prob"a*bly ,
adverb
Improbate Im"pro·bate transitive verb [ Latin
improbatus , past participle of
improbare to disapprove; prefix
im- not +
probare to approve.]
To disapprove of; to disallow. [ Obsolete]
Improbation Im`pro·ba"tion noun [ Latin
improbatio .]
1. The act of disapproving; disapprobation. 2. (Scots Law) The act by which falsehood and forgery are proved; an action brought for the purpose of having some instrument declared false or forged. Bell.
Improbative, Improbatory Im"pro·ba·tive, Im"pro·ba`to·ry adjective Implying, or tending to, improbation.
Improbity Im·prob"i·ty noun [ Latin
improbitas ; prefix
im- not +
probitas probity: confer French
improbité .]
Lack of probity; want of integrity or rectitude; dishonesty. Persons . . . cast out for notorious improbity .
Hooker.
Improficience, Improficiency Im`pro·fi"cience, Im`pro·fi"cien·cy noun Want of proficiency. [ R.]
Bacon.
Improfitable Im·prof"it·a·ble adjective [ Prefix
im- not +
profitable : confer French
improfitable .]
Unprofitable. [ Obsolete]
Improgressive Im`pro·gress"ive adjective Not progressive. De Quincey. --
Im"pro*gress"ive*ly ,
adverb
Improlific Im`pro·lif"ic adjective [ Prefix
im- not +
prolific : confer French
improlifique .]
Not prolific. [ Obsolete]
E. Waterhouse.
Improlificate Im`pro·lif"ic·ate transitive verb [ Prefix
im- in +
prolificate .]
To impregnate. [ Obsolete]
Sir T. Browne.
Imprompt Im·prompt" adjective Not ready. [ R.]
Sterne.
Impromptu Im·promp"tu adverb or adjective [ French
impromptu , from Latin
in promptu in readiness, at hand;
in in +
promptus visibility, readiness, from
promptus visible, ready. See
Prompt .]
Offhand; without previous study; extemporaneous; extempore; as, an impromptu verse.
Impromptu Im·promp"tu noun 1. Something made or done offhand, at the moment, or without previous study; an extemporaneous composition, address, or remark. 2. (Mus.) A piece composed or played at first thought; a composition in the style of an extempore piece.
Improper Im·prop"er adjective [ French
impropre , Latin
improprius ; prefix
im- not +
proprius proper. See
Proper .]
1. Not proper; not suitable; not fitted to the circumstances, design, or end; unfit; not becoming; incongruous; inappropriate; indecent; as, an improper medicine; improper thought, behavior, language, dress. Follow'd his enemy king, and did him service,
Improper for a slave.
Shak. And to their proper operation still,
Ascribe all Good; to their improper , Ill.
Pope. 2. Not peculiar or appropriate to individuals; general; common. [ Obsolete]
Not to be adorned with any art but such improper ones as nature is said to bestow, as singing and poetry.
J. Fletcher. 3. Not according to facts; inaccurate; erroneous. Improper diphthong .
See under Diphthong . --
Improper feud ,
an original feud, not earned by military service. Mozley & W. --
Improper fraction .
See under Fraction .
Improper Im·prop"er transitive verb To appropriate; to limit. [ Obsolete]
He would in like manner improper and inclose the sunbeams to comfort the rich and not the poor.
Jewel.
Improperation Im·prop`er·a"tion noun [ Latin
improperare ,
improperatum , to taunt.]
The act of upbraiding or taunting; a reproach; a taunt. [ Obsolete]
Improperatios and terms of scurrility.
Sir T. Browne
Improperia Im`pro·pe"ri·a noun plural [ Latin , reproaches.]
(Mus.) A series of antiphons and responses, expressing the sorrowful remonstrance of our Lord with his people; -- sung on the morning of the Good Friday in place of the usual daily Mass of the Roman ritual. Grove.
Improperly Im·prop"er·ly adverb In an improper manner; not properly; unsuitably; unbecomingly.
Improperty Im·prop"er·ty noun Impropriety. [ Obsolete]
Impropitious Im`pro·pi"tious adjective Unpropitious; unfavorable. [ Obsolete] "Dreams were
impropitious ."
Sir H. Wotton.
Improportionable Im`pro·por"tion·a·ble adjective Not proportionable. [ Obsolete]
B. Jonson.
Improportionate Im`pro·por"tion·ate adjective Not proportionate. [ Obsolete]
Impropriate Im·pro"pri·ate transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Impropriated ;
present participle & verbal noun Impropriating .] [ Prefix
im- in + Latin
propriatus , past participle of
propriare to appropriate. See
Appropriate .]
1. To appropriate to one's self; to assume. [ Obsolete]
To impropriate the thanks to himself.
Bacon. 2. (Eng. Eccl. Law) To place the profits of (ecclesiastical property) in the hands of a layman for care and disbursement.
Impropriate Im·pro"pri·ate intransitive verb To become an impropriator. [ R.]
Impropriate Im·pro"pri·ate adjective (Eng. Eccl. Law) Put into the hands of a layman; impropriated.
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