impost 
Slacken the reans of our late Servitude : 
Lighten our gall d backs of those Burthens rude, 
Those heauy Imposts of thy father. 
Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartas s Weeks, 11., The Schisme. 
Tithes were hated as an unequal and oppressive impost 
falling upon a people who were already sunk in the lowest 
depths of poverty, and religious feeling had little or no- 
thing to say to the antipathy. 
Leelcy, Eng. in 18th Cent., xvi. 
2. In arch., the point where an arch rests on a 
wall or column; also, the condition of such rest- 
in g or meetin g. In classic architecture the impost is typ- 
icallv marked by a horizontal member ; but in medieval 
work many different forms 
of imposts are used, and 
such horizontal members 
or moldings are frequently 
absent. Imposts have been 
classified as continuous im- 
poxls (see phrase below); 
discontinuous imposts, 
where the arch-moldings 
3016 impounder 
q. v., as impostume of aposteme.^ I. a. Swollen ^^/^^i^J^Sm^ ."Tcalled'in the 
with corrupt or purulent matter; affected with s f cens to assist them in the expulsion of the Greeks, 
an abscess. Sandys, Travailes, p. 83. 
When the friend of Philotimus, the physician, came to i mpo t a ble (im-po'ta-bl), a. [< LL. impotahilix. 
him to be cured of a. sore finger, . . . he let his hnger *2!i'H2 V , .vL iv + potaUUa. drinkable: 
unfit for drinking. 
alone, and told him 
Continuous Impost 
II. n. One who is affected with an impos- 
tume; one who is swelled or bloated. 
A Samian peer, more studious than the rest 
Of vice, who teem'd with many a dead-born jest . . . 
(Ctesippus nam'd), this lord Ulysses ey'd, 
And thus burst out th' imposthmnnte with pride. 
Pope, Odyssey, xx. 358. 
impostumationt, imposthumationt (im-pos- 
tu-ma'shon), H. [Corrupt forms of apostema- 
ti'rni, q. v.] 1. The act of forming an abscess. 
Bailey. 2. An abscess; an impostume. 
We do find his wound 
So festered near the vitals, all our art, 
By warm drinks, cannot clear th' impost/imitation. 
Webster, Devil's Law-Case, iii. 2. 
The impoHtlmmation is supposed to have proceeded, 
not from his fall last year, but from a blow with a tennis- 
Distilled water is made impotable and unhealthy by any 
traces of that [hydrochloric] acid. 
Pop. Sci. Mo., XXVI. 532. 
impotence (im'po-tens), n. [< ME. impotence, 
< OF. (also F.) Impotence = Pr. inpotencia = 
Sp. Pg. impotcncia = It. impotenzia, impotenza, 
< L. impoteiitia, inpotentia, powerlessness, in- 
ability, ungovernableness, < impolen(t-)s, inpo- 
ten(t-)s, powerless, impotent: see impotent.] 
1 . The condition or quality of being impotent ; 
want of power or vigor, physical, intellectual, 
or moral; weakness; feebleness; inability; de- 
fect of power, more especially adventitious 
power, to perform anything. 
impotence of mind, in body strong ! 
Milton, S. A., 1. 52. 
In their complete military impotence, the Popes looked 
abroad for some foreign succour, and they naturally turned 
to the Franks, whose martial tastes and triumphs were 
universally renowned. Lecky, European Morals, II. 283. 
3. 
Shafted lint 
abut and are stopped on the pier ; shafted impost*, where 
the arch-moldings spring from a capital and are different 
from those of the pier; and ttaiuled imposts, where the 
pier and arch have the same moldings. 
3. In sporting slang, a weight placed upon a 
horse in a handicap race. Kri/c's Guide to tlie 
Turf. Continuous impost, in arch., the continuation 
of the arch-moldings down the pillar that supports the 
arch, without any member to mark the impost-point that 
is, the point at which arch and pillar meet. See interpene- 
tration, 2. =Syn. 1. Duty, Assessment, etc. See tax, n. 
imposter (im-pos'ter), n. See impostor. 
imposteroust, a. See imposturous. 
imposthumatet, imposthumationt, etc. See 
impostumate, etc. 
impostor (im-pos'tor), n. [Also imposter; < 
F. imposteur = Sp. Pg. impostor = It. impos- 
tore, < LL. impostor, inpostor, a deceiver, coutr. 
of L. impositor, inpositor, one who imposes (used 
only of one who imposes or applies a name), < 
imponere, inponere, pp. impositus, inpositus, lay 
on, impose: see impone, impose.] One who im- 
poses on others ; a person who practises decep- 
tion, usually under a false guise or an assumed 
character. 
Witches and old women and impostors have had a com- 
petition with physicians. 
Bacon, Advancement of Learning, ii. 190. 
impostorioust (im-pos-to'ri-us), a. [< impostor 
+ -ious; cf. impostorovs, prop, imposturous.] 
Same as imposturous. 
I was formerly acquainted with the imvofitorious mums 
of Loudune in France, which made such noise amongst 
the Papists. Evelyn, Diary, Aug. 5, 1670. 
impostoroust, a. See imposturous. 
impostorship (im-pos'tor-ship), n. [Also im- 
postership; ' impostor + -ship.] The character 
or practices of an impostor. 
Inclining rather to make this phantasm an expounder, 
or indeed a depraver of Saint Paul, than Saint Paul an ex- 
aminer and discoverer of this impostership. 
Milton, Prelatical Episcopacy. 
impostress (im-pos'tres), . [< OF. imposte- 
resse; as impost(o)r + -ess.'] A female impos- 
tor. Bacon. 
impostrix (im-pos'triks), n. [< ML. impostrix, 
f em. of L. impostor, an impostor : see impostor.] 
Same as impostress. Fuller. 
impostroust (im-pos'trus), a. Same as impos- 
turous. 
impostumatet, imposthumatet (im-pos'tu- 
mat), v. [Corrupt forms of apostemate, as im- 
postume, imposthume of aposteme, apostem: see 
apostemate, impostume."] I, trans. To affect 
with an impostume or abscess ; make swollen 
or bloated. 
lie [Lord Rutland) . . . fell a casting and vomiting up 
divers little imposthumated Bladders of congealed Blood. 
Ilowell, Letters, I. v. 32. 
II. intrans. To form an abscess; gather; 
collect pus in a cyst or cavity; hence, to draw 
to a head, as an abscess. 
That high food of spiritual pride and confidence . . . 
will be sure to impostumate in the soul. 
Bamtniind, Winks, IV. 674. 
impostumatet, imposthumatet (im-pos'tu- 
mat), a. and . [Corrupt forms of apostemate, 
ball. Walpole, Letters, II. 2-17. 
impostumet, imposthumet (im-pos'tum), n. 
[C OF. empostume, a corrupt form of apostume, 
and that of aposteme, an abscess : see apostem, 
aposteme, of which impostume is thus merely a 2. Complete failure of sexual power in the male; 
corrupt form.] A collection of pus or purulent also, rarely, such weakness in the i male. 
matter in any part of an animal body ; an ab- 
scess. 
And such impoethumes as Phantaste is 
Grow in our palace? We must lance these sores. 
B. Jonson, Cynthia's Revels, v. 3. 
I have learned nothing but that the Prince of Orange 
died of an impusthunie in his head. 
Walpole, Letters, II. 271. 
impostumet, imposthumet (im-pos'tum), . 
impostume, n.] Same as impostumate. 
Want of self -restraining power; ungovernable 
passion. 
The being your sister would anew inflame me 
With much more impotence to dote upon her. 
Fletcher and Massinger, A Very Woman, ii. 1. 
Will he, so wise, let loose at once his ire, 
Belike through impotence, or unaware? 
Milton, P. L. ( ii. 156. 
[< impotency (im'po-ten-si), . Same as impo- 
tence. 
How can an impoMmned heart but yield forth evil impotent (im'po-tent), a. and . [< ME. im- 
atter by his mouth? Sir P. Sidney, Arcadia, iii. potent, < OF. (also F.) impotent = Pr. inpotens 
imposturaget (im-pos'tu-raj), . [< imposture = Sp. Pg. It. impotente, < L. impoten(t-)s, in- 
+ -aye.] Imposition. "" poten(t-)s, powerless, weak, feeble, without 
Many other practices of human art and invention, which self-control, ungovernable, < in- priv. + po- 
help crookedness, lameness, dimness of sight, &c., no man ten(t-)s, powerful: see potent.] 1. a. 1. JNot 
is so foolish as to impute to the devil's invention, or to potent ; lacking power, strength, or vigor, phys- 
count them any hurtful imposturage. ical, intellectual, or moral ; powerless ; weak ; 
feeble. 
There sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, 
. . . who never had walked. Acts xiv. 8. 
Bishops then grow to be most vigorous and potent, 
when Princes happ'n to be most weak and impotent. 
Milton, Eikonoklastes, xvii. 
Weak to protect, or impotent to wound. 
Crabbe, Works, I. 200. 
2 Wholly lacking in sexual power: said of 
"john"n Irene the male , and rarely of the female. 3. Lack- 
mot answer i^S tne power of self-restraint; destitute of 
self-command; ungovernable. 
imposture (im-pos'tur), . [= F. imposture = 
Sp. Pg. It. impostur'a, < LL. impostura, inpos- 
tura, deceit, < L. imponere, inponere, pp. imposi- 
tus, inpositm, impose upon, deceive: see impone, 
impose.] 1 . The act or conduct of an impostor ; 
deception practised, usually under a false or 
assumed character ; fraud or imposition. 
Form new legends, 
And fill the world with follies and impostures. 
Tis more than strange ; my reason cannot 
Such argument of line imposture. 
Fora, Perkin Warbeck, ii. 3. 
2f. An imposing or putting; imposition, or an 
imposition ; that which is imposed or laid on. 
At midday he stayed a while, to see the passage of a ty- 
rannicall and treacherous imposture. 
Capt. John Smith, True Travels, I. 27. 
=Syn. 1. Trick, cheat. 
imposturedt (im-pos'turd), a. [< imposture + 
-erf 2 .] Having the nature of imposture ; deceit- 
ful. [Rare.] 
What have vile I to do with noble Day 
Which shews Earth Heav'ns bright face? that face 
which I 
Want only scorn'd, and cast my love away 
Vpon imposturd lust's " 
O sacred hunger of ambitious mindes, 
And impotent desire of men to raine ! 
Spenser, F. Q., V. xli. 1. 
An impotent lover 
Of women for a flash, but, his fires quenched, 
Hating as deadly. 
Massinger, Unnatural Combat, iii. 2. 
II. . 1. One who is feeble, infirm, or lan- 
guishing under disease. 
Your task shall be, 
With all the fierce endeavour of your witj 
To enforce the pained impotent to smile. 
Shak., L. L L., v. 2. 
2. A male without sexual power. 
impotently (im'po-tent-li), adv. 1. In an im- 
potent manner; without strength or force. 2. 
Without self-restraint ; beyond power of con- 
trol. 
imposturioust, [( imposture + -ious.] Same 
as imposturous. 
Yet there are some imposturious companions that im- 
pute so much devinitie to the devell . . . that they at- 
tribute unto him the truth of the knowledge of Things. 
Hystorie of HamMet (1008), iv. impound (im-pound'), v. t. [Formerly also 
imposturous (im-pos'tu-rus), a. [Also va- cmpound; <-!+ pound?.] 1. To put, shut, 
riously impostimous, impostorotts, imposteroits. 
He loves her most impotently. 
Burton, Anat. of Mel., p. 576. 
impostrous, impostorious, the last forms being 
associated with impostor, imposter; but prop. 
imposturous, < imposture + -ous.] Having the 
character of an impostor or of imposture ; de- 
ceitful. 
Thou takest upon thee the habit of a grave physician, 
but art indeed an iinpostorous empiric. 
Ford, Lover's Melancholy, i. 2. 
[He] protested against him and Mr. Humfrey, that they 
were a couple of impvsteruus knaves. 
Wiiithrop, Hist. New England, II. 234. 
Yet even his [Plato's] evidence . . . will not be found 
to justify the charges of corrupt and immoral teaching, 
imjiostrous pretence of knowledpi, \ c. , w Im-h the modern 
or confine in or as in a pound or close pen ; 
restrain within bounds; confine: as, toimpomitl 
stray horses, cattle, etc. 
She hath herself not only well defended, 
But taken and impounded as a stray 
The king of Scots. .S/mfr., Hen. V., i. 2. 
The things distreined must in the first place be carried 
to some pound, and there impounded by the taker. 
Blackstone, Com., III. i. 
2. To take and retain possession of, as a forged 
document, produced as evidence in a trial and 
directed to be held in custody of the law, in 
order that a prosecution may be instituted in 
respect of it. 
impoundage (im-ponn'daj), n. [< impound + 
historians pour forth in loud chorus against them. 
Orote, Hist, Greece, ii. 67. -a'je.] The act of impounding, a~s stray cattle 
imposturyt (im-pos'tu-ri), n. [< imposture + impounder (im-poun'der), n. One who im 
-i/*.] Same as imposture. 
pounds. 
