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imp
imp a small, mischievous devil or sprite. The word is recorded in Old English (in form impa, impe) in the sense ‘young shoot, scion’, impian ‘to graft’, based on Greek emphuein ‘to implant’. In late Middle English, the noun denoted a descendant, especially of a noble family, and later a child of the devil or a person regarded as such; hence a ‘little devil’ or mischievous child (early 17th century).
The verb imp in falconry, meaning repair a damaged feather in (the wing or tail of a trained hawk) by attaching part of a new feather, retains the original meaning ‘to graft’. |
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Cite this article
ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "imp." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "imp." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-imp.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "imp." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-imp.html |
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imp
imp †young shoot, sapling OE.; offspring, child XIV; ‘child’ of the Devil, evil spirit XVI; mischievous child XVII. OE. impa or impe.
So imp vb. †graft, engraft OE.; engraft feathers in a bird's wing so as to improve or restore its flight XV; enlarge, eke out XVI. OE. impian, corr. to OHG. impfōn (G. impfen), shortened analogues of OHG. impitōn (MHG. impfeten) — Rom. *impotare, f. medL. impotus graft — Gr. émphutos implanted, engrafted, vbl. adj. of emphúein implant, f. EM-2 + phúein (see BE C). |
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "imp." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "imp." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-imp.html T. F. HOAD. "imp." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-imp.html |
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imp
imp / imp/ • n. a mischievous child: a cheeky young imp. ∎ a small, mischievous devil or sprite. • v. [tr.] repair a damaged feather in (the wing or tail of a trained hawk) by attaching part of a new feather. |
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"imp." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "imp." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-imp005.html "imp." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-imp005.html |
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IMP
IMP Acronym for interface message processor. One of the switching computers that together formed the backbone network for the ARPANET.
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JOHN DAINTITH. "IMP." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN DAINTITH. "IMP." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O11-IMP.html JOHN DAINTITH. "IMP." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O11-IMP.html |
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IMP
IMP / imp/ • abbr. Bridge International Match Point. |
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Cite this article
"IMP." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "IMP." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-imp.html "IMP." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-imp.html |
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IMP
IMP Inosine monophosphate, one of the purine nucleotides.
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Cite this article
DAVID A. BENDER. "IMP." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAVID A. BENDER. "IMP." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-IMP.html DAVID A. BENDER. "IMP." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-IMP.html |
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IMP
IMP See INTERNET MESSAGE PROCESSOR.
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DARREL INCE. "IMP." A Dictionary of the Internet. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DARREL INCE. "IMP." A Dictionary of the Internet. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O12-IMP.html DARREL INCE. "IMP." A Dictionary of the Internet. 2001. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O12-IMP.html |
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imp
imp •amp, camp, champ, clamp, cramp, damp, encamp, gamp, lamp, ramp, samp, scamp, stamp, tamp, tramp, vamp
•firedamp • headlamp • wheel clamp
•sidelamp • spotlamp • blowlamp
•sunlamp
•hemp, kemp, temp
•blimp, chimp, crimp, gimp, imp, limp, pimp, primp, scrimp, shrimp, simp, skimp, wimp
•chomp, clomp, comp, pomp, romp, stomp, swamp, tromp, whomp, yomp
•bump, chump, clump, crump, dump, flump, frump, gazump, grump, hump, jump, lump, outjump, plump, pump, rump, scrump, slump, stump, sump, thump, trump, tump, ump, whump
•ski-jump • showjump • handpump
•mugwump
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Cite this article
"imp." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "imp." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-imp.html "imp." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-imp.html |
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