Imp definition
The tender imp was weaned.
"For, if I imp my wing on Thine" – Herbert (1633)
An example of an imp is a very small mythical creature that plays tricks on people.
An example of an imp is a five year old child who hides from their mother in a grocery store.
An example of imp is attaching feathers to the broken wing of a falcon.
Origin of imp
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From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Middle English impe, ympe, from Old English impa, impe (“an imp, scion, graft, shoot; young tree”), from Old English impian (“to imp, graft”), from Proto-Germanic *impōną, *impitōną (“to graft”) (> Old High German impfōn). Cognate with Danish ympe, German Impf, Swedish ymp.
From Wiktionary
- Old English impian, apparently ultimately from a Latin source. Cognate with German impfen.
From Wiktionary