immutation 
Borne euldent defect, or surplusage, or disorder, or i'm- 
mutation in the same spcachcs notably altering either the 
congrullle grammatical!, or the sence, or both. 
ruUf.nham, Arte of Eng. Poeslc, p. ISO. 
Lo, what delightful immutationx 
On her soft (lowing vest we contemplate ! 
lif. II. More, Psychathanasla, I. i. :'.'!. 
Natural iimnutationt Is where the form of that which 
brings iilniin the change is received in the thing that un- 
dergoes the change as It existed in the former, as where 
one body heats another. Spiritual immutation I is 
where the form of the tint thing is received in the second 
in (-SHU snirltuale. Thus, when a colored object affects the 
< yr UK: latter does not become colored. 
iinmutet (i-muf), v. t. [= OF. immuer, inmuer 
= Sp. iituiutar = Pg. immutar = It. immutarc, 
< L. immiitare, inmutare, change into something 
else, < in, in, T mutare, change : see mut<&. Cf. 
commute.'] To change into another form ; trans- 
form. 
God can immediately immute, change, corrupt . . . 
whatsoever pleaseth his divine majesty. 
Salkeld, Treatise of Angels, p. 100. 
Although the substance of gold be not iimnnted, or its 
gravity sensibly decreased, yet that from thence some ver- 
tue may proceed . . . we cannot safely deny. 
Sir T. Browne, Vulg. Err., U. 5. 
imou-pine (im'o-pm), . A valuable New Zea- 
land tree, Dacrydinm cupresftinum. The trunk at- 
tains a height of 80 feet and a thickness of from 4 to 5 feet 
The wood Is red, solid, and heavy. Also called rimu. 
imp (imp), H. [< ME. impe, ympe, < AS. impe = 
Sw. ymp = Dan. ympe (W. imp, < E.) = OF. F. 
ente (> D. ent) = Pr. empeut, a scion, shoot, twig, 
<ML. impetus, agraft: see imp, r.] If. Asciou; 
shoot; graft; bud; slip. 
" I am Wrath," quod he ; "I was sum tyme a f rere, 
And the couentes gardyner for to graffe ympet; 
On limltoures and Hstroa lesynges 1 ymped, 
Tyl the! bere leues of low speche lordes to plese." 
Pier Plowman(B), T. 137. 
Of fleble trees ther comen wrecched irmpes. 
Chaucer, ProL to Monk's Tale, 1. 08. 
When the . . . cliff was made, they held It open with a 
wedge of wood . . . iintill such time as the impe or graffe 
. . . were set handsomely close within the rift. 
Holland, tr. of Pliny, xvii. 14. 
2f. A son ; offspring ; progeny. 
A lad of life, an imp of fame. Sliak., Hen. V., IT. 1. 
Let us pray for ... the king's most excellent majesty 
and for ... his beloved son Edward, our prince, that 
most angelic imp. Pathway of Prayer. 
An angel's truiupe from heanen proclaim'd his name 
lesus who camo lost Adam's hunt.* to saue. 
England's Welcome to James (1003). 
3. A young or small devil. 
They be impious idolaters, wicked heretics, persons ex- 
communicable, yea, and cast out for notorious improbity. 
Such withal we deny not to be the imps and limbs of Satan. 
Hooker, Eccles. Polity, ill. 1. 
The serpent, subtlest beast of all the Held, . . . 
Kit vessel, fittest in,,, of fraud. Mitton, P. L., ix. 89. 
4. A mischievous or pert child. 
The little imp fell a squalling. Swift. 
5t. A spirit other than a devil. 
Ye sacred imps that on Pamasso dwell, 
And there the keeping have of learnings threasures, . . . 
Guyde ye my footing. Sjienser, F. Q., VI., ProL, st 2. 
6. Something added or united to another thing 
to repair or lengthen it out; particularly, a 
feather inserted in a broken wing of a bird. 
See imp, v. t., 2. =Syn. 3. Sprite, hobgoblin, 
imp (imp), r. t. [< ME. impen, < AS. "impian (in 
Somner, not authenticated) = MLG. inpoten = 
OHG-. impiton, impton, imphon, MHG. impfeten, 
ini/ifi n, (i. impfen = Sw. ympa = Dan. ympe = 
OF. and F. enter (> D. enten) = Pr. empeltar, en- 
petttar,<. ML. "impotare, graft,< imjtotus, a graft, 
< Gr. 1/ujtvTOf, implanted, inborn ( > eutyvreiiuv, im- 
plant, graft), < efi<tiifii>, implant, pass, grow in, 
\ iv. in, + (filieiv, produce, pass. <f>vea6ai, (jrow (> 
Qvrov, a plant).] 1. To graft. [Archaic.] 
Thus taught and preched hath Kesoun, 
But Love spilte her sermoun, 
That was so ymi#d in my thought 
That hir doctrine I sette at nought 
Rom, of the Rote, 1. 5137. 
Come to aid me in my garden, and I will teach thee the 
real French fashion of imping, which the Southron call 
grafting. Scott. 
The heraldic nurseryman, skilled to imp a slip of Scrog- 
gins on a stock of De Vere or Montmorencl. 
Lowell, Study Windows, p. 349. 
2. To extend or enlarge by something inserted 
or added; extend or mend, as (in falconry) a 
broken or deficient wing by the insertion of a 
feather; qimlify for llight or uso ; strengthen. 
Euen the best translation is, for mere necessitle, but 
an euill imped wing to Hie withall. 
Ancham, The Scholemaster, p. 127. 
Thence gathering plumes of perfect speculation, 
To impe the wings of thy high flying mynd. 
Spenser, Heavenly Beautie, 1. 135. 
3001 
Imp out onr drooping country's broken wing. 
Shalt., Klch. II., II. 1. 
3. To rob. Halliwell. [Prov. Eng.] 
impacablet, a. [< L>. in- priv. + ML. pacabili*, 
payable, lit. to be appeased, < L. pacare, ap- 
pease, pacify, < ]>nx (pae-), peace: see pay 1 , 
peace.] Not to be appeased or quieted; un- 
appeasable. 
So happle are they, and so fortunate, 
\\ In-ill the Pierian sacred sisters love, 
That, freed from bands of impacabte fate 
And power of death, they live for aye above. 
Speiucr, Kuines of Time, 1. 395. 
impackett. impaquett, r. t. [< OF. empaqueter, 
pack up, < en- + paquete, pack up : see packet, 
v.] To pack up ; place in a packet. 
I had several letters impaqueted with many others. 
Evelyn, Memoirs, Nov. 10, 1099. 
impackment(im-pak'inent), M. [<i- 2 + prtct 
+ -mtH t. ] The state of being closely surround- 
ed, crowded, or pressed, as by ice. Kane. 
[Rare.] (Webster.) 
impact (im-pakf), v. t. [< OF. impacter, ewpac- 
ter, press close together, < L. impactus, inpac- 
tus, pp. of impingere, inpingere, strike against : 
see impinge.] To drive close; press closely or 
firmly ; pack in. 
Such a state of the fluids at last affects the tender ca- 
pillary vessels of the brain, by the viscidity and Inmica- 
Dillty of the matter impacted in them. 
Arbuthnot, Aliments, vi. 30. 
When I was . . . wont to ride impacted between the 
knees of fond parental pair. 0. W. Holmes, Autocrat, ii. 
Impacted fracture, in mry., a fracture in which the 
fragments are driven firmly together, so that they will not 
move on one another. 
impact (im'pakt), . [< impact, i\] The act of 
striking against something; a blow ; a stroke. 
The quarrel, by that impact driven 
True to its aim, fled fatal. Southey. 
The impact of barbarian conquest split up the unity of 
the Latin tongue as it did that of the Latin empire. 
Stubbe, Const. Hist, i 0. 
Slight pulls of dust were beaten upward by each im- 
pact of his horse's hoofs. J. Hawthorne, Dust, p. 190. 
Specifically (a) In mech., the blow, or act of striking, of 
a body having momentum ; also, the change of momen- 
tum in amount and direction produced by such a blow. 
In gases, the molecules are flying about In all directions, 
frequently coming into collision and rebounding ; and it 
is on these mutual impacts that the slowness of diffusion 
among gases depends. 
&. H. Lewas, Probs. of Life and Mind, n. iv. $ 74. 
(6) In gun., the single blow of a projectile against a 
fixed or moving object. Center of Impact, In </., the 
mean point of impact of a number of projectiles nred at 
a given distance with the piece always aimed at the cen- 
ter of the target. It Is determined by measuring the hori- 
zontal and vertical distances of each point of Impact from 
the lower left-hand corner of the target. The sum of the 
vertical distances divided by the number of shots will give 
the vertical coordinate for the center of Impact, and 
the sum of the horizontal distances divided by the num- 
ber of shots will give the horizontal coordinate, estimated 
from this same corner. The distance of the center of im- 
pact from the center of the target is called the aotolute 
mean deviation. 
impaction (im-pak'shon), . [< L. impactio(n-), 
inpactio(n-), a striking against, impact, < im- 
pingere, inpingere, pp. impactus, inpactus, strike 
against : see impact, impinge.] Tne act of im- 
pacting, or the state of being impacted; close 
fixation. 
Impaction of a tooth within the maxillary bone. 
T. Bryant, Surgery, p. 432. 
Should the cause of morbid action be importion of f eces, 
. . . they must ... be exercised or urged along the bowel 
by prudent force. Medical Newt, LII. 686. 
impaintt (im-panf), v. t. [< n- a + paint.] 
To paint ; adorn with colors. 
Never yet did insurrection want 
Such water-colours to impaint his cause. 
Shot., 1 Hen. IV., y. L 
impair 1 (im-par'), r. [< ME. empairen, em- 
peiren, empeyreii, enjieyren, enpayren, < OF. em- 
peirer, empirer, F. empirer = Sp. emneorar = 
Pg. empeiorar = It. impeggiorare, < ML. imprju- 
rare, make worse, < L. in, in, + pejorare, make 
worse, < jiejor, worse, a compar. associated with 
mains, bad: &QQ pejorative. Ct.appair.] I. trans. 
To make worse ; diminish in quantity, value, 
excellence, strength, or any other desirable 
quality; deteriorate; weaken; enfeeble: as, to 
mpnir the health or character; to impair one's 
fortune. 
Why couet we combraunse, or cnchyng of harme, 
In enpayryny of our persons & pyllyng our goodes? 
Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. S.% 1. 2281. 
Wherein It (night] doth impair the seeing sense, 
It pays the hearing double recompense. 
Shak., M. N. D., Ui. 2. 
It will impair my honesty, 
And strike deep at my credit. 
Fletrhrr, Spanish Curate, ill. 1. 
= Syn. To lessen, decrease, reduce, injure. 
impalement 
Il.t iiitraxs. To become worse; be lessened 
or enfeebled; deteriorate. 
Flesh may impair, quoth he, but reason 
Can repair. Spenter, V. Q. 
She was many days impairing, and endur'd the sharpest 
conflicts of her skknesse with admirable patience. 
Kvelyn, Diary (1086). 
impair 1 ! (im-par'), H. [< impair^, r.] Diminu- 
tion; decrease; loss; injury; disgrace. 
Go to. thou dost well, but pocket It |a bribe) for all 
that ; 'tis no impair to thee, the greatest do 't 
Chapman, Widow's Tears, II. 1 . 
Of the outward husk of the cod. good cordage ; of the 
Inward, brushes, Ac. such and such like afford they yearly 
without empair to themselves. Sandys, Travalles, p. 80. 
impair 2 ?, [Appar. < F. impair, unequal : see 
impar.] Unequal; unworthy; unjust. 
For what he has he gives ; what thinks, he shows ; 
Yet gives he not till judgment guides his bounty, 
Nor dignities an impair thought with breath. 
Shak., T. and C., Iv. 5. 
[Some editions read impure.) 
impairer (im-par' er), n. One who or that which 
impairs. 
impairment (im-par'ment), ii. [< ME. enipare- 
rncnt, enpcirment, < OF. empirement, < empirer, 
etc., impair: see impair 1 and -men/.] The act 
of impairing, or the state of being impaired: 
diminution; decrease; injury. 
I laboured, and wasted my youth and the vigour of my 
days, more to the service of my country and the impair- 
ment of my health than the improvement of my fortune. 
Dryden, Character of Polybius. 
impalatable (im-pal'a-ta-bl), a. [< in- 3 + pal- 
atable.] Unpalatable. "Todd. [Bare.] 
impale, empale 1 (im-, em-pal'), v. t.; pret. and 
. impaled, empaled, ppr. imjialiiig, empaling. 
F. empaler =: Sp. Pg. enipalar = It. impalarr, 
ML. impalare, impale, < L. ', in, on, + pahig, 
a pole, stake: see pale^,pole^.] 1. To fix upon 
a stake; drive or thrust a sharpened stake 
through : an ancient and Oriental mode of cap- 
ital punishment. 
With what life remains, impaled and left 
To writhe at leisure round the bloody stake. 
Additon, Cato, 111. .i. 
The King impaled him for his piracy. 
Tennyaon, Merlin and Vivien. 
Hence 2. Figuratively, to render helpless as 
if pierced through or impaled: as, to impale a 
person upon his own argument or upon the 
horns of a dilemma. 
I point a moral for you : I have no right to impat* 
others upon it. T. Winthrop, Cecil Dreeme, vi. 
3. To surround or inclose with or as with stakes, 
posts, or palisades. 
Until my mis-shap'd trunk, that bears this head, 
Be round impaled with a glorious crown. 
SAo*., 8 Hen. VI., ill. 2. 
Frost-fearing myrtle shall impale my head. 
B. Jonton, Poetaster, L 1. 
4. (a) In tier., to display side by side on one 
shield, separated palewise each from the other, 
as when the arms of husband and wife are rep- 
resented together. Hence (6) To place side 
by side as of similar importance and significa- 
tion. 
Ordered the admission of St. Patrick to the same, to be 
matched and t'mpnfedwlth the blessed Virgin In the hon- 
our thereof. Fuller. 
impalement, empalement (imvem-pal'ment), 
. [< F. empalement (= Sp. empalaaiiento), ? em- 
paler, impale: see impale.] 1. The act of im- 
paling, or putting to death by driving a stake 
through the body. 2. The act of inclosing with 
stakes, or paling. 3. A paling or hedge ; an 
inclosnre; nence, a floral inclosure or flower- 
cup. 
The rules of Church-discipline are not only commanded, 
but hedg'd about with such a terrible impalement of com- 
mands, as he that will break through wilfully to violate 
the least of them must hazard the wounding of his con- 
science even to death. Hilton, Church-Government, i. ?. 
The flower's forensic beauties now admire, 
The impalement, foliation, down, attire, 
Couch'u In the pannicle or mantling veil. 
That Intercepts the keen or drenching gale. 
Brooke, Universal Beauty, iv. 
4. A piece of ground inclosed by pales; an in- 
closed space. 5. In her., the marshaling side 
by side of two escutcheons combined in one. 
See impale, 4. The 
common case of im- 
palement is that of 
the arms of husband 
and wife; a bishop 
also impales his own 
arms with those of 
the see, the arms of 
the see occupying 
the dexter half. In Impa | eme nt- The arms of the wife , 
some cases Other Offl- impaled with those of the husband </f '. 
