imp

1 of 3

noun

ˈimp 

1

a

: a small demon : fiend

b

: a mischievous child : urchin

2

obsolete : shoot, bud

also : graft entry 1

imp

2 of 3

verb

imped; imping; imps

transitive verb

1

: to graft or repair (a wing, tail, or feather) with a feather to improve a falcon's flying capacity

2

: to equip with wings

imp

3 of 3

abbreviation

1

imperative

2

imperfect

3

imperial

4

import; imported

Synonyms

Noun

• devil
• hellion
• mischief
• monkey
• rapscallion
• rascal
• rogue
• scamp
• urchin

Examples of imp in a Sentence

Noun

scooped up the little imp and took him to bed

a story about a crumbling mansion infested with a brood of imps

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

William got a kick out of the little imp, and Gary was in awe of William. —Ira Silverberg, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024

Tim Burton's film explores the border between life and the afterlife with some of the best in the biz, from Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin’s wholesome (and dead) homeowners to Winona Ryder's angsty teen to her ridiculous mother (Catherine O'Hara) to the imp with a limp (Michael Keaton). —Gwen Ihnat, EW.com, 25 Sep. 2024

Verb

Imping, her father had called this sort of frenzied picking. —Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English impe, from Old English impa, from impian to imp

Verb

Middle English, from Old English impian to graft, from Vulgar Latin *imputare, from Late Latin impotus grafted shoot, from Greek emphytos implanted, from emphyein to implant, from em- en- entry 2 + phyein to bring forth — more at be

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

imp

noun

ˈimp

1

: a small demon

2

: a mischievous child

Medical Definition

IMP

noun

ˌī-ˌem-ˈpē 

: inosinic acid