Imp Meaning

/ɪmp/
B2

Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Listen pronunciation

verbTo engraft or plant (a plant or part of one, a sapling, etc.).

verbTo graft or implant (something other than a plant); to fix or set (something) in.

What a little imp he is!
That pesky imp must be punished.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The little ____ hid in the closet and scared his sister by jumping out suddenly.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The playful little child was such a mischievous ____, always getting into trouble for some small trick.

From Middle English impen, ympen (“to plant; (figuratively) to bury; to graft; to add to, insert, put into, set in; to mend (a falcon’s feather) by attaching a new feather on to the broken stump”), from Old English impian, ġeimpian (“to graft”), from Proto-West Germanic *impōn (“to graft”), from Vulgar Latin *imputō (“to graft”), from Ancient Greek ἔμφῠτος (émphŭtos, “implanted; planted”), from ἐμφῠ́ω (emphŭ́ō, “to implant”, from ἐν- (en-, prefix meaning ‘in’) + φῠ́ω (phŭ́ō, “to bring forth, produce; to grow”, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to appear; to become; to grow”))) + -τος (-tos).

"That headleſſe tyrants tronke he reard from ground, / And, having ympt the head to it agayne, / Vpon his vſuall beaſt it firmely bound, / And made it ſo to ride, as it aliue was found." — 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 4, page 128:
"I have known feathers so imped that the eye could not discern the place of juncture, and it was difficult even to discover it by passing the thumb-nail down the shaft of the imped feather." — 1900, E[dward] B[lair] Michell, “Accidents and Maladies”, in The Art and Practice of Hawking, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC, page 229:
"Bird rehabilitators borrow a trick from falconry with the age-old process of imping flight feathers on to a damaged bird." — 2004, Roseann Tomko, Illinois Audubon, Wayne, Ill.: Illinois Audubon Society, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 19, column 1:
"[page 246, column 1] Feather damage is a serious problem for any bird. […] Repairing or imping broken feathers is a very good option in these cases and may save months or even a year in captivity. […] [page 250, column 1] Note that a feather can usually only be imped once since it is very difficult or impossible to remove and then replace an imping needle from within a feather shaft after it has been glued in place." — 2016, David E. Scott, “Feathers and Aging”, in Raptor Medicine, Surgery and Rehabilitation, 2nd edition, Wallingford, Oxfordshire; Boston, Mass.: CABI, →ISBN, pages 246 and 250:
"With thee / Let me combine, / And feel this day thy victorie: / For, if I imp my wing on thine, / Affliction ſhall advance the flight in me." — [1633], George Herbert, “Easter Wings”, in [Nicholas Ferrar], editor, The Temple. Sacred Poems, and Private Ejaculations, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel; and are to be sold by Francis Green, […], →OCLC, page 35:

Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words

CEFR Practice Quiz
The little ____ hid in the closet and scared his sister by jumping out suddenly.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The playful little child was such a mischievous ____, always getting into trouble for some small trick.

Expand Your Vocabulary with LexUp

Master English words using smart flashcards, play exciting word rounds, and compete with other learners worldwide.

Browse CEFR Words Alphabetically