v. t.
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 ]
And doth impeach the freedom of the state. Shak. [ 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.
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:
Willing to march on to Calais,
Without impeachment. Shak.
The consequence of Coriolanus' impeachment had like to have been fatal to their state. Swift.
☞ 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.
Impeachment of waste (Law),
v. t.
Dewdrops which the sun
Impearls on every leaf and every flower. Milton. [ 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. --
God is infallible, impeccable, and absolutely perfect. P. Skelton. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. Sinlessness. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Sinless; impeccable. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]