imp
To engraft on to a broken feather in a bird's wing or tail to repair itTo engraft (a feather) on to a broken feather in a bird's wing or tail to repair it; to engraft (feathers) on to a bird, or a bird's wing or tail.
Recorded UK: Speaker: Vealhurl Recorder: Vealhurl, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons · Recorded US: Dvortygirl, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
» That pesky imp must be punished.
mailohilohi · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
5 senses(transitive)To engraft (a feather) on to a broken feather in a bird's wing or tail to repair it; to engraft (feathers) on to a bird, or a bird's wing or tail.
(broadly, figuratively, transitive)To provide (someone or something) with wings, hence enabling them or it to soar.
(broadly, transitive)To add to or unite an object with (something) to lengthen the latter out or repair it; to eke out, enlarge, strengthen.
(obsolete, transitive)To engraft or plant (a plant or part of one, a sapling, etc.).
(archaic, figuratively, transitive)To graft or implant (something other than a plant); to fix or set (something) in.
Examples
3 sentencesThat pesky imp must be punished.
What a little imp he is!
deWas er doch für ein Satansbraten ist! — Pfirsichbaeumchen
Those imps must be stopped.
Origin
From Middle English impen, ympen (“to plant; (figuratively) to bury; to graft; to add to,From Middle English impen, ympen (“to plant; (figuratively) to bury; to graft; to add to, insert, put into, set in; to mend (a falcon’s feather) by attaching a new feather on to the broken stump”), from Old English impian, ġeimpian (“to graft”), from Proto-West Germanic *impōn (“to graft”), from Vulgar Latin *imputō (“to graft”), from Ancient Greek ἔμφῠτος (émphŭtos, “implanted; planted”), from ἐμφῠ́ω (emphŭ́ō, “to implant”, from ἐν- (en-, prefix meaning ‘in’) + φῠ́ω (phŭ́ō, “to bring forth, produce; to grow”, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to appear; to become; to grow”))) + -τος (-tos).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
imps, imping, imped, impedWord family
1 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.