And oft of error did himself appeach. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

As soon as the party . . . before our justices shall be depeached. Hakluyt. [ 1913 Webster ]

These ungracious practices of his sons did impeach his journey to the Holy Land. Sir J. Davies. [ 1913 Webster ]

A defluxion on my throat impeached my utterance. Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To charge with a crime or misdemeanor; to accuse; especially to charge (a public officer), before a competent tribunal, with misbehavior in office; to cite before a tribunal for judgment of official misconduct; to arraign; as, to impeach a judge. See Impeachment. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Hence, to charge with impropriety; to dishonor; to bring discredit on; to call in question; as, to impeach one's motives or conduct. [ 1913 Webster ]

And doth impeach the freedom of the state. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) To challenge or discredit the credibility of, as of a witness, or the validity of, as of commercial paper. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ When used in law with reference to a witness, the term signifies, to discredit, to show or prove unreliable or unworthy of belief; when used in reference to the credit of witness, the term denotes, to impair, to lessen, to disparage, to destroy. The credit of a witness may be impeached by showing that he has made statements out of court contradictory to what he swears at the trial, or by showing that his reputation for veracity is bad, etc.

Syn. -- To accuse; arraign; censure; criminate; indict; impair; disparage; discredit. See Accuse. [ 1913 Webster ]

Owners of lands in fee simple are not impeachable for waste. Z. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

Willing to march on to Calais,
Without impeachment. Shak.

(b) A calling to account; arraignment; especially, of a public officer for maladministration. [ 1913 Webster ]

The consequence of Coriolanus' impeachment had like to have been fatal to their state. Swift.

(c) A calling in question as to purity of motives, rectitude of conduct, credibility, etc.; accusation; reproach; as, an impeachment of motives. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In England, it is the privilege or right of the House of Commons to impeach, and the right of the House of Lords to try and determine impeachments. In the United States, it is the right of the House of Representatives to impeach, and of the Senate to try and determine impeachments. [ 1913 Webster ]

Articles of impeachment. See under Article. --
Impeachment of waste (Law), restraint from, or accountability for, injury; also, a suit for damages for injury. Abbott. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Peace is sometimes used as an exclamation in commanding silence, quiet, or order. “Peace! foolish woman.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

At peace, in a state of peace. --
Breach of the peace. See under Breach. --
Justice of the peace. See under Justice. --
Peace of God. (Law) (a) A term used in wills, indictments, etc., as denoting a state of peace and good conduct. (b) (Theol.) The peace of heart which is the gift of God. --
Peace offering. (a) (Jewish Antiq.) A voluntary offering to God in token of devout homage and of a sense of friendly communion with Him. (b) A gift or service offered as satisfaction to an offended person. --
Peace officer, a civil officer whose duty it is to preserve the public peace, to prevent riots, etc., as a polliceman, sheriff or constable. --
To hold one's peace, to be silent; to refrain from speaking. --
To make one's peace with, to reconcile one with, to plead one's cause with, or to become reconciled with, another. “I will make your peace with him.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

When the thunder would not peace at my bidding. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Peaceful; pacific; tranquil; quiet; mild; undisturbed; serene; still. -- Peaceable, Peaceful. Peaceable describes the state of an individual, nation, etc., in reference to external hostility, attack, etc.; peaceful, in respect to internal disturbance. The former denotes “in the spirit of peace;” latter; “in the possession or enjoyment of peace.” A peaceable adjustment of difficulties; a peaceful life, scene. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not disposed or tending to war, tumult or agitation; pacific; mild; calm; peaceable; as, peaceful words. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- See Peaceable. [ 1913 Webster ]

--Peace"ful*ly, adv.. -- Peace"ful*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. someone who keeps peace; as, she's the peacekeeper in that family. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. the pistol of a law officer in the old West. [ U. S. History ] [ WordNet 1.5 ]

--Peace"mak`ing, n. [1913 Webster]

If I be ta'en, I'll peach for this. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The tree (Prunus Persica syn. Amygdalus Persica) which bears the peach fruit. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The pale red color of the peach blossom, or the light pinkish yellow of the peach fruit. [ PJC ]

Guinea peach, or
Sierra Leone peach, the large edible berry of the Sarcocephalus esculentus, a rubiaceous climbing shrub of west tropical Africa. --
Palm peach, the fruit of a Venezuelan palm tree (Bactris speciosa). --
Peach color, the pale red color of the peach blossom. --
Peach-tree borer (Zool.), the larva of a clearwing moth (Aegeria exitiosa, or Sannina, exitiosa) of the family Aegeriidae, which is very destructive to peach trees by boring in the wood, usually near the ground; also, the moth itself. See Illust. under Borer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The heavy red wood of the Caesalpinia echinata; brazilwood; pernambuco wood. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

☞ The upper tail coverts, which are long and capable of erection, are each marked with a black spot bordered by concentric bands of brilliant blue, green, and golden colors. The common domesticated species is Pavo cristatus. The Javan peacock (Pavo muticus) is more brilliantly colored than the common species. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In common usage, the species in general or collectively; a peafowl. [ 1913 Webster ]

Peacock butterfly (Zool.), a handsome European butterfly (Hamadryas Io) having ocelli like those of peacock. --
Peacock fish (Zool.), the European blue-striped wrasse (Labrus variegatus); -- so called on account of its brilliant colors. Called also cook wrasse and cook. --
Peacock pheasant (Zool.), any one of several species of handsome Asiatic pheasants of the genus Polyplectron. They resemble the peacock in color. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. [ metonymically named after the throne on which he sat. ] The office or position of the Shah of Iran; as, to ascend the Peacock Throne. [ PJC ]