*impi*

‖n. [ Zulu. ] A body of Kaffir warriors; a body of native armed men. [ South Africa ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

As early as 1862 he crossed assagais with and defeated a Matabili impi (war band). James Bryce. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Pictured; impressed. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. im- in + pierce. Cf. Empierce. ] To pierce; to penetrate. [ Obs. ] Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>a. Not capable of being pierced; impenetrable. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Impieties [ L. impietas, fr. impius impious; cf. F. impiété. See Impious, Piety. ] 1. The quality of being impious; lack of piety; irreverence toward the Supreme Being; ungodliness; wickedness. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An impious act; an act of wickedness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Those impieties for the which they are now visited. Shak.

Syn. -- Ungodliness; irreligion; unrighteousness; sinfulness; profaneness; wickedness; godlessness. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ LL. impignoratus, p. pl of impignorare to pawn. See Pignoration. ] To pledge or pawn. [ Obs. ] Laing. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. impignoratio: cf. F. impignoration. ] The act of pawning or pledging; the state of being pawned. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Imp to graft. ] 1. The act or process of grafting or mending. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Falconry) The process of repairing broken feathers or a deficient wing. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Impinged p. pr. & vb. n. Impinging ] [ L. impingere; pref. im- in + pangere to fix, strike; prob. akin to pacisci to agree, contract. See Pact, and cf. Impact. ] To fall or dash against; to touch upon; to strike; to hit; to clash with; -- with on or upon. [ 1913 Webster ]

The cause of reflection is not the impinging of light on the solid or impervious parts of bodies. Sir I. Newton. [ 1913 Webster ]

But, in the present order of things, not to be employed without impinging on God's justice. Bp. Warburton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of impinging. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. impingens, p. pr. ] Striking against or upon. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. impinguatus, p. p. of impinguare to fatten; pref. im- in + pinguis fat. ] To fatten; to make fat. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of making fat, or the state of being fat or fattened. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. impius; pref. im- not + pius piou. See Pious. ] Not pious; wanting piety; irreligious; irreverent; ungodly; profane; wanting in reverence for the Supreme Being; as, an impious deed; impious language. [ 1913 Webster ]

When vice prevails, and impious men bear away,
The post of honor is a private station. Addison.

Syn. -- Impious, Irreligious, Profane. Irreligious is negative, impious and profane are positive. An indifferent man may be irreligious; a profane man is irreverent in speech and conduct; an impious man is wickedly and boldly defiant in the strongest sense. Profane also has the milder sense of secular. C. J. Smith.

-- Im"pi*ous*ly, adv. -- Im"pi*ous*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Umpire. [ Obs. ] Huloet. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having the qualities, or showing the characteristics, of an imp; naughtily or annoyingly playful; as, teasing and worrying with impish laughter.
Syn. -- elfish, elvish, implike, mischievous, pixilated, prankish, puckish. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. In the manner of an imp. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pitiless; cruel. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. limpidus; akin to Gr. la`mpein to shine: cf. F. limpide. Cf. Lamp. ] 1. Characterized by clearness or transparency; clear; as, a limpid stream. [ 1913 Webster ]

Springs which were clear, fresh, and limpid. Woodward.

2. Clear and unambiguous; lucid; easy to understand; -- of speech and writing; as, limpid prose. [ PJC ]

3. Calm, untroubled, and without worry; serene. [ PJC ]

Syn. -- Clear; transparent; pellucid; lucid; pure; crystal; translucent; bright. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. limpiditas: cf. F. limpidité. ] The quality or state of being limpid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Quality of being limpid; limpidity. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A limpet. [ Obs. ] Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a limping manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Limpidity. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. (Bot.) A West Indian name for the prickly pear (Opuntia); -- called also pimploes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Pimpernel. ] (Bot.) The burnet saxifrage. See under Saxifrage. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. G. pimpelig, pimpelnd, sickly, weak. ] 1. Little; petty; pitiful. [ Obs. ] Crabbe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Puny; sickly. [ Local, U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. from Scrimp, v. t. [ 1913 Webster ]

Scrimping bar, a device used in connection with a calico printing machine for stretching the fabric breadthwise so that it may be smooth for printing. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]