%impe%

n. One who, or that which, crimps; as: (a) A curved board or frame over which the upper of a boot or shoe is stretched to the required shape. (b) A device for giving hair a wavy appearance. (c) A machine for crimping or ruffling textile fabrics. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A spring-blooming plant (Fritillaria imperialis) of the Lily family, having at the top of the stalk a cluster of pendent bell-shaped flowers surmounted with a tuft of green leaves. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖pl. [ L. imperfecti imperfect. ] (Bot.) A heterogenous phylum of fungi which lack a sexual phase, or of which the sexual phase is not known. Some undoubtedly represent the conidium stages of various Ascomycetes. It is not considered a natural phylum, and is also called the Deuteromycota. The group is divided into the orders Sphæropsidales, Melanconiales, and Moniliales. It includes the genera Penicillium and Aspergillus, which reproduce asexually by means of conidia. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

‖n. [ F. See 2d Gimp. ] 1. A kind of short blouse or chemisette, worn under a low-necked dress such as a jumper or pinafore. [ wns=2 ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. a piece of starched cloth covering the shoulders of a nun's habit. [ wns=1 ] [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Impeached p. pr. & vb. n. Impeaching. ] [ OE. empeechier to prevent, hinder, bar, F. empêcher, L. impedicare to entangle; pref. im- in + pedica fetter, fr. pes, pedis, foot. See Foot, and Appeach, Dispatch, Impede. ] 1. To hinder; to impede; to prevent. [ Obs. ] [ 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 ]

n. Hindrance; impeachment. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. That may be impeached; liable to impeachment; chargeable with a crime. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

n. One who impeaches. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. empêchement. ] The act of impeaching, or the state of being impeached; as: (a) Hindrance; impediment; obstruction. [ Obs. ] [ 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 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Impearled p. pr. & vb. n. Impearling. ] [ Pref. im- in + pearl: cf. F. emperler. ] 1. To form into pearls, or into that which resembles pearls. [ Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Dewdrops which the sun
Impearls on every leaf and every flower. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To decorate as with pearls or with anything resembling pearls. [ Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

With morning dews impearled. Mrs. Browning. [ 1913 Webster ]

The dews of the morning impearl every thorn. R. Digby. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. impeccabilité. ] The quality of being impeccable; exemption from sin, error, or offense. [ 1913 Webster ]

Infallibility and impeccability are two of his attributes. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. impeccabilis; pref. im- not + peccare to err, to sin: cf. F. impeccable. ] Not liable to sin; exempt from the possibility of doing wrong. -- n. One who is impeccable; esp., one of a sect of Gnostic heretics who asserted their sinlessness. [ 1913 Webster ]

God is infallible, impeccable, and absolutely perfect. P. Skelton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Sinlessness. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Sinless; impeccable. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being impecunious. Thackeray. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. im- not + pecunia money: cf. F. impécunieux. ] Not having money; habitually without money; poor. [ 1913 Webster ]

An impecunious creature. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Impede + -ance. ] (Elec.) The apparent resistance in an electric circuit to the flow of an alternating current, analogous to the actual electrical resistance to a direct current, being the ratio of electromotive force to the current. It is equal to R2 + X2, where R = ohmic resistance, X = reactance. For an inductive circuit, X = 2πfL, where f = frequency and L = self-inductance; for a circuit with capacity X = 1 ÷ 2πfC, where C = capacity. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Impeded; p. pr. & vb. n. Impeding. ] [ L. impedire, lit., to entangle the feet; pref. im- in + pes, pedis, foot. See Foot, and cf. Impeach. ] To hinder; to stop in progress; to obstruct; as, to impede the advance of troops. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whatever hinders or impedes
The action of the nobler will. Logfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being impeded or hindered. [ R. ] Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. impedimentum: cf. F. impediment. ] That which impedes or hinders progress, motion, activity, or effect. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thus far into the bowels of the land
Have we marched on without impediment. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Impediment in speech, a defect which prevents distinct utterance.

Syn. -- Hindrance; obstruction; obstacle; difficulty; incumbrance. -- Impediment, Obstacle, Difficulty, Hindrance. An impediment literally strikes against our feet, checking our progress, and we remove it. An obstacle rises before us in our path, and we surmount or remove it. A difficulty sets before us something hard to be done, and we encounter it and overcome it. A hindrance holds us back for a time, but we break away from it. [ 1913 Webster ]

The eloquence of Demosthenes was to Philip of Macedon, a difficulty to be met with his best resources, an obstacle to his own ambition, and an impediment in his political career. C. J. Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To impede. [ R. ] Bp. Reynolds. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ L. See Impediment, Impede. ] Things which impede or hinder progress; incumbrances; baggage; specif. (Mil.), the supply trains which must accompany an army.

On the plains they will have horses dragging travoises, dogs with travoises, women and children loaded with impedimenta. Julian Ralph. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Of the nature of an impediment; hindering; obstructing; impeditive. [ 1913 Webster ]

Things so impedimental to success. G. H. Lewes. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. impeditus, p. p. See Impede. ] Hindered; obstructed. [ R. ] Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To impede. [ Obs. ] Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. impeditio. ] A hindering; a hindrance. [ Obs. ] Baxier. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. impéditif. ] Causing hindrance; impeding. “Cumbersome, and impeditive of motion.” Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Impelled p. pr. & vb. n. Impelling. ] [ L. impellere; pref. im- in + pellere, pulsum, to drive. See Pulse a beat, and cf. Impulse. ] To drive or urge forward or on; to press on; to incite to action or motion in any way. [ 1913 Webster ]

The surge impelled me on a craggy coast. Pope.

Syn. -- To instigate; incite; induce; influence; force; drive; urge; actuate; move. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. motivated by an irresistable compulsion.
Syn. -- driven. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

a. [ L. impellens, p. pr. of impellere. ] Having the quality of impelling. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An impelling power or force. Glanvill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, impels. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Impenned nd Impent p. pr. & vb. n. Impenning. ] To shut up or inclose, as in a pen. Feltham. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. impend&ebreve_;re; pref. im- in + pend&ebreve_;re to weigh out, pay. ] To pay. [ Obs. ] Fabyan. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Impended; p. pr. & vb. n. Impending. ] [ L. impendēre; pref. im- in + pendēre to hang. See Pendant. ] To hang over; to be suspended above; to threaten from near at hand; to menace; to be imminent. See Imminent. [ 1913 Webster ]

Destruction sure o'er all your heads impends. Pope.

{ } n. The state of impending; the state of being imminent and liable to happen soon; also, that which impends. “Impendence of volcanic cloud.” Ruskin.
Syn. -- imminence, imminency, impendence, forthcomingness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. impendens, p. pr. of impendēre. ] Impending; threatening. [ 1913 Webster ]

Impendent horrors, threatening hideous fall. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Hanging over; overhanging; suspended so as to menace; imminet; threatening. [ 1913 Webster ]

An impending brow. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

And nodding Ilion waits th' impending fall. Pope.

Syn. -- Imminent; threatening. See Imminent. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. impénétrabilité. ] 1. Quality of being impenetrable. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Physics) That property in virtue of which two portions of matter can not at the same time occupy the same portion of space. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Insusceptibility of intellectual or emotional impression; obtuseness; stupidity; coldness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. impenetrabilis; pref. im- not + penetrabilis penetrable: cf. F. impénétrable. ] 1. Incapable of being penetrated or pierced; not admitting the passage of other bodies; not to be entered; impervious; as, an impenetrable shield. [ 1913 Webster ]

Highest woods impenetrable
To star or sunlight. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Physics) Having the property of preventing any other substance from occupying the same space at the same time. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Inaccessible, as to knowledge, reason, sympathy, etc.; unimpressible; not to be moved by arguments or motives; as, an impenetrable mind, or heart. [ 1913 Webster ]

They will be credulous in all affairs of life, but impenetrable by a sermon of the gospel. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being impenetrable; impenetrability. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an impenetrable manner or state; imperviously. “Impenetrably armed.” Milton. “Impenetrably dull.” Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. impenitentia: cf. F. impénitence. ] The condition of being impenitent; failure or refusal to repent; hardness of heart. [ 1913 Webster ]

He will advance from one degree of wickedness and impenitence to another. Rogers. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Impenitence. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. impaenitens; pref. im- not + paenitens penitens: cf. F. impénitent. See Penitent. ] Not penitent; not repenting of sin; not contrite; of a hard heart. “They . . . died impenitent.” Milton. “A careless and impenitent heart.” Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who is not penitent. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Without repentance. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Characterized by short wings covered with feathers resembling scales, as the penguins. -- n. One of the Impennes. [ 1913 Webster ]