[W/K] :: IMP

  Imp \Imp\ ([i^]mp), n. [OE. imp a graft, AS. impa; akin to Dan.
     ympe, Sw. ymp, prob. fr. LL. impotus, Gr. ? engrafted,
     innate, fr. ? to implant; ? in + ? to produce; akin to E. be.
     See 1st In-, Be.]
     1. A shoot; a scion; a bud; a slip; a graft. [Obs.]
        --Chaucer.
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     2. An offspring; progeny; child; scion. [Obs.]
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              The tender imp was weaned.            --Fairfax.
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     3. A young or inferior devil; a little, malignant spirit; a
        puny demon; a contemptible evil worker.
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              To mingle in the clamorous fray
              Of squabbling imps.                   --Beattie.
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     4. Something added to, or united with, another, to lengthen
        it out or repair it, -- as, an addition to a beehive; a
        feather inserted in a broken wing of a bird; a length of
        twisted hair in a fishing line. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
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  Imp \Imp\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Imped; p. pr. & vb. n.
     Imping.] [AS. impian to imp, ingraft, plant; akin to Dan.
     ympe, Sw. ympa, OHG. impf[=o]n, impit[=o]n, G. impfen. See
     Imp, n.]
     1. To graft; to insert as a scion. [Obs.] --Rom. of R.
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     2. (Falconry) To graft with new feathers, as a wing; to
        splice a broken feather. Hence, [Fig.]: To repair; to
        extend; to increase; to strengthen; to equip. [Archaic]
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              Imp out our drooping country's broken wing. --Shak.
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              Who lazily imp their wings with other men's plumes.
                                                    --Fuller.
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              Here no frail Muse shall imp her crippled wing.
                                                    --Holmes.
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              Help, ye tart satirists, to imp my rage
              With all the scorpions that should whip this age.
                                                    --Cleveland.
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  imp
       n 1: (folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous [syn: elf,
             hob, gremlin, pixie, pixy, brownie]
       2: one who is playfully mischievous [syn: scamp, monkey, rascal,
           rapscallion, scalawag, scallywag]

  114 Moby Thesaurus words for "imp":
     Ariel, Befind, Corrigan, Dingbelle, Fifinella, Finnbeara, Hob,
     Hobgoblin, JD, Mab, Oberon, Puck, Titania, appendage, arm, bad boy,
     bad fairy, bad peri, banshee, booger, bough, branch, brat, brownie,
     buffoon, bugger, cluricaune, cutup, devil, deviling, devilkin,
     diablotin, dwarf, elf, enfant terrible, erlking, fairy,
     fairy queen, fay, funmaker, gamin, gnome, goblin, gremlin, hand,
     hob, hobgoblin, holy terror, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, joint, joker,
     jokester, juvenile delinquent, knave, kobold, leg, leprechaun,
     limb, link, little devil, little monkey, little rascal, lobe,
     lobule, member, minx, mischief, mischief-maker, monkey, offshoot,
     organ, ouphe, peri, pinion, pixie, poltergeist, pooka,
     practical joker, prankster, puca, puck, punk, punk kid, pwca,
     ramification, rapscallion, rascal, rogue, rowdy, ruffian, runner,
     scamp, scapegrace, scion, spoiled brat, spray, sprig, sprite, spur,
     switch, sylph, sylphid, tail, tendril, tokoloshe, troll, twig,
     urchin, wag, whippersnapper, wing, young devil
  
  

  IMP
       Interface Message Processors (ARPANET, MILNET)
       
       

  IMP
       
          1.  IMProved Mercury autocode.
       
          2.  An extensible dialect of ALGOL 60, for CDC
          1604.
       
          ["Experience with an Extensible Language", Edgar T. Irons,
          CACM 13(1):31-39, Jan 1970].
       
          3.  Interpretive Menu Processor.
       
          4.  IMPlementation language.
       
          5.  Interface Message Processor.
       
          (1996-04-07)