imp

views updated May 21 2018

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’.

imp

views updated May 17 2018

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).

imp

views updated May 11 2018

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.

IMP

views updated Jun 08 2018

IMP Acronym for interface message processor. One of the switching computers that together formed the backbone network for the ARPANET.

IMP

views updated May 14 2018

IMP / imp/ • abbr. Bridge International Match Point.

IMP

views updated May 17 2018

IMP Inosine monophosphate, one of the purine nucleotides.