From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Impromptu \Im*promp"tu\, adv. or a. [F. impromptu, fr. L. in
promptu in readiness, at hand; in in + promptus visibility,
readiness, from promptus visible, ready. See {Prompt}.]
Offhand; without previous study; extemporaneous; extempore;
as, an impromptu verse.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Impromptu \Im*promp"tu\, n.
1. Something made or done offhand, at the moment, or without
previous study; an extemporaneous composition, address, or
remark.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Mus.) A piece composed or played at first thought; a
composition in the style of an extempore piece.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
impromptu
adv 1: without advance preparation; "he spoke ad lib" [syn: {ad
lib}, {ad libitum}, {spontaneously}, {impromptu}]
adj 1: with little or no preparation or forethought; "his ad-lib
comments showed poor judgment"; "an extemporaneous piano
recital"; "an extemporary lecture"; "an extempore skit";
"an impromptu speech"; "offhand excuses"; "trying to
sound offhanded and reassuring"; "an off-the-cuff toast";
"a few unrehearsed comments" [syn: {ad-lib},
{extemporaneous}, {extemporary}, {extempore},
{impromptu}, {offhand}, {offhanded}, {off-the-cuff},
{unrehearsed}]
n 1: an extemporaneous speech or remark; "a witty impromptu must
not sound premeditated"
2: a short musical passage that seems to have been made
spontaneously without advance preparation
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