impugnation 
naqflti = It. i 
iiipitt/n<itit>(n-), an attack, < ini/>it</n/ii-<-, in/>ui/- 
nare, attack: see impugii.'] Assault; opposi- 
tion ; contradiction. [Raro.] 
The ttfth is a perpetual iinpnijnation and self-conflict, 
either put labouring to oppose and vanquish the other. 
/.'/'. Huff, Remedy of Discontentment, 18. 
No one can object any thing to purpose against pncex- 
Ixtence from th imcom eivableness of It, until he know 
the particular frame of the hypothesis, without which all 
impti'/nations n-l.ii i i IL' to the manner of the thing will be 
wide of the murk, and but little to the business. 
Glanville, Pre-existence of Souls, Iv. 
impugner (im-pu'ner), n. One who impugns; 
one who opposes or contradicts. 
I mean not only the seditious libellers, but impugners 
of the king's regalities. 
Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 1835), II. 98. 
impugnment (im-pun'ment), . [< impugn + 
-/((.] The act of impugning, or the state of 
being impugned. [Rare.] 
It must not he an impugnment to his manhood that he 
cried like a child. K. Howard, Jack Ashore, xlvii. 
impuissancet (im-pu'i-sans), . [< F. impnis- 
fiiincc, < intiiHimant, powerless: see impuissant.'] 
Powerlessness; impotence; feebleness. 
As he would not trust Ferdlnando and Maximilian for 
supports of war, so the impuitsfince of the one, and the 
double proceeding of the other, lay fair for him for occa- 
sions to accept of peace. Bacon, Hist Hen. VII. 
John de la Casse was a genius of fine parts and fertile 
fancy; and yet ... he lay under an iitipuistmncf, at the 
same time, of advancing above a line and a half Iti the 
compass of a whole summer's day. 
Steritf, Tristram Shandy, v. 16. 
impuissantt (im-pu'i-sant), a. [< F. impuissant, 
powerless, <! in- priv. + puissant, powerful: see 
puissant."] Powerless; impotent; feeble. 
Craving your honour's pardon for so long a letter, car- 
rying so empty an offer of so impuutitant a service, but yet 
a true and unfeigned signification of an honest and vowed 
duty, I cease. ;.'.. To the Lord Treasurer Eurghley. 
impulse (im'puls, formerly im-puls'), . [= 
Sp. Pg. It. impulso, < L. impulsus, inpulsus, a 
push, pressure, incitement, (. impellere, inpel- 
lere, pp. impulsus, inpulsus, push on, impel: see 
impel.] 1. Force communicated suddenly; 
the effect of an impelling force ; a thrust ; a 
push. 
To-day I saw the dragon-fly. . . . 
An inner impulse rent the veil 
Of his old husk. Tennyson, Two Voices. 
The sensation of red is produced by imparting to the 
optic nerve four hundred and seventy-four millions of mil- 
lions of impulses per second. 
Tyndall, Light and Elect., p. 66. 
A shuttlecock which has its entire state of motion sud- 
denly changed by the impulse of the battledore. 
W. A". Cli/ord, Lectures, I. 76. 
Specifically 2. la -meek.: (a) An infinite force 
or action enduring for an infinitely short time, 
so as to produce a finite momentum. Strictly 
speaking, there is no such natural force ; but mathema- 
ticians find it convenient to treat such actions as the blow 
of a hammer as if of this nature, (i) The resultant 
of all such forces acting on a body at any in- 
stant, resolved into a couple and a force along 
the axis of that couple, (c) The momentum 
produced by a force in any time. 
The product of the time of action of a force into its in- 
tensity if it is constant, or Its mean Intensity if It is vari- 
able, is called the Impulse of the force. 
Clerk Maxwell, Matter and Motion, art. xlix. 
8. A stimulation of the mind to action; the 
impelling force of appetite, desire, aversion, or 
other emotion ; especially, a sudden disposition 
to perform some act which is not the result of 
reflection ; sudden determination. 
Be abandoned himself to the impulse of the moment, 
whether for good or evil. Prescott, Ferd. and Isa., ii. 19. 
The term impulse (Trieb) is commonly confined to those 
innate promptings of activity in which there is no clear 
representation of a pleasure, and consequently no distinct 
desire. J. Sully, Outlines of Psychol., p. 580. 
Does he take inspiration from the Church, 
Directly make her rule his law of life? 
Not he : bis own mere impulx guides the man. 
BroicniiKj, King and Book, IL 225. 
4. Any communication of force; any compel- 
ling action ; instigation. 
Meant line, by Jove's impulxe, Mezentius armed 
Succeeded Turnus. Drtjden, -Km-iil. x. 976. 
He [Dean Stanley] was a constant preacher, and gave a 
great impulse to tlie practice already begun of inviting dis- 
tinguished preachers to the abbey. 
Encyc. lint., XXII. 452. 
6. A meutal impression; an idea. [Rare.] 
I had always a strong impulse that 1 should some time 
recover my liberty. Su-ift, Gulliver s Travels, Ii. 8. 
6. Shock; onset. [Rare.] 
I nnmv'd the two united Chiefs abide, 
Sustain the Impulse, and receive the War. 
Prior, Ode to Queen Auiic (1706), st. IS. 
3023 
Impulse Of a motion, the system of Impulsive forces 
rei|iiiriMl to produeo the motion, compounded Into a single 
impulsive wrench. Impulse-WheeL See wheel. Ner- 
VOU8 Impulse, the molecular disturbance which travels 
alon/ a nerve from the point of xtimulatimi. In the con- 
unrtion of such impulses, which serve as stimuli to pe- 
ripheral or central organs, the function of nerve-fibers con- 
sists. = Syn. 3. Inducement, etc. (see motive), incitement. 
impulse (im-puls'), t>. t.; pret. and pp. impulm-il. 
ppr. iiiijinl.iiiiii. [< L. impulsus, inpulsus, pp. of 
impellere, inpellere, impel: see impel, v., and im- 
pulse, .] To give an impulse to; incite; in- 
stigate. 
I leave these prophetesses to God, that knows the heart, 
. . . whether they were impultwd like Balaam, Saul, and 
Calaphas, to vent that which they could not keep in, or 
whether they were inspired like Ksaias and the prophets 
of the Lord. Up. Hacks! , Abp. Williams, ii. 49. 
impulsion (im-pul'shon), n. [< F. impulsion = 
Pr. impulsio = Sp. impulsion = Pg. impuMo = 
It. impulsione, < L. impulsio(n-), inpulsio(n-), a 
pushing against, pressure, < impellere, inpellere, 
pp. impulsus, inpulsus, push against: see tm- 
pel, impulse.] 1. The act of impelling or im- 
parting an impulse ; impelling force or action. 
Medicine . . . considereth the causes of diseases, with 
the occasions or impulsions. 
liacon, Advancement of Learning, 11. 193. 
They know the right and left-hand file, and may 
With some impulsion no doubt be brought 
To pass the A B C of war, and come 
Unto the horn-book. 
Beau, and Fl., Thierry and Theodoret, it 1. 
2. Moving or inciting influence on the mind ; 
instigation ; impulse. 
Thou didst plead 
Divine impulsion prompting how thou mightst 
Find some occasion to Infest our foes. 
Milton, S. A., 1. 422. 
Surely it was something In woman's shape that rose be- 
fore him with all the potent charm of noble impulsion 
that is hers as much through her weakness as her strength. 
Lowell, Wordsworth. 
impulsive (im-pul'siv), a. and n. [= F. im- 
pulsif = Pr. impulsiii = Sp. Pg. It. impulsivo; 
as impulse + -ire.] I. a. 1. Having the power 
of driving or impelling; moving; impellent. 
His quick eye, fixed heavily and dead, 
Stirs not when prick'd with the impulrive goad. 
Drayton, Moses, Ii. 
Poor men ! poor papers ! We and they 
Do some impulsive force obey. Prior. 
2. Actuated or controlled by impulses ; swayed 
by the emotions: as, an impulsive child. 3. 
Resulting from impulse: as, impulsive move- 
ments or gestures. 4. In mecJi., acting by in- 
stantaneous impulse, not continuously: said 
of forces. See force 1 , 8 (a). =Byn. 2. Rash, quick, 
hasty, passionate. 
II. n. That which impels; impelling cause 
or reason. [Rare.] 
Every need Is an impultire, to this holy office. 
Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 1835X I. 226. 
impulsively (im-pul'siv-li), adv. In an impul- 
sive manner ; by impulse. 
impulsiveness (im-pul'siv-nes), n. The char- 
acter of being impulsive or actuated by im- 
pulse. 
That want of impulsiveness which distinguishes the 
Saxon. 0. // Leuxt, Ranthorpe. 
impulsort (im-pul'sor), n. [= OF. impulseur.< L. 
impulsor, inpulsor, one who impels, < impellere, 
inpellere, pp. impulsus, inpulsus. impel : see im- 
pel, impulse.'] One who or that which impels. 
The greater compression la made by the union of two 
impulsort. Sir T. Browne, Garden of Cyrus, II. 
impunctate (im-pungk'tat), a. [< in-3 + punc- 
tate.'] Not punctate ; not marked with points. 
Also inipunctitred. 
impunctual (im-pungk'tu-al). a. [= It. im- 
pitiituale; as i'w- 3 + punctual.] Not punctual. 
[Rare.] 
impunctuality (im-pungk-tu-al'i-ti), n. [= 
It. impuntualita ; as impunctual + -ity.~\ Lack 
or neglect of punctuality. [Rare.] 
Unable to account for his imfiunctualilit, some of his 
intimates were dispatched in quest of him. 
Observer, No. 139. (Latham.) 
impunctured (im-pungk'turd), a. Same as iwi- 
l>llllctlltC. 
impunet (im-pun'), a. [= Sp. Pg. It. impune, 
< L. iiii/nniis. without punishment, < in- priv. 
+ pcenn, punishment, penalty : see pain, penal.'] 
Unpunished. 
The breach of our national statutes can not go impune 
by the plea of ignorance. Rev. T. Aiiam*, Works, L 235. 
impunelyt (im-pun'li), adv. Without punish- 
ment. *V /vx. 
Thou slnn'st impunelii, hut thy fore-man paid 
Thy pennance with his head ; 'twas burn d. 'tis said. 
Omn't Epigrams Englished (1677). 
impurity 
impuniblet (im-pu'ni-bl), a. [= Pg. impunirel 
= It. uii/ndiihili-, not deserving punishment, < 
L. in- priv. + ML. punibilin, punishable, < L. 
/>tniirr, punish: see punish.} Not punishable, 
impunibiyt (im-pu'm-bli), ailv. Without pun- 
ishment ; with impunity. 
Xenophon represents the opinion of Socrates, that . . . 
no man impuitMu violates a law established by the gods. 
Jfilit, Knowledge of Divine Things, p. 66. 
impunity (im-pu'ni-ti), n. ; pi. impunitiex (-tiz). 
[< F. inipuiiilc = Sp. i/ni>unidad = PK- i'/<<"- 
dade = It. iiii/iunilii, < L. impunita(t-)s, inpuiii- 
ta(t-)s, omission of punishment, < impums, in- 
punis, without punishment: see impune.} 1. 
Exemption from punishment or penalty. 
Impunity and remissencs, for certain, are the bane of a 
Commonwealth. Milton, Areopugltlca, p. 25. 
The impunity with which outrages were committed in 
the ill-lit and ill-guarded streets of London during the 
first half of the eighteenth century can now hardly be 
realised. Lecku, Eng. In 18th Cent., lit 
2. Freedom or exemption from injury, suffer- 
ing, or discomfort. 
The thistle as Is well known, is the national emblem of 
Scotland, and the national motto is very appropriate, be- 
ing "Memo me impune lacesset," Nobody shall provoke 
me with impunity. Brande. 
impurationt (im-pu-ra'shon), . [< L. 'inipu- 
ratio(n-), < "impurare, make impure: see im- 
pure, .] The act of making impure. 
And for these happy regions, which are comfortably 
Illumined with the saving doctrine of Jesus Christ, may 
It please you to forbid their impuration by the noysoiue 
fogges and mists of those nils-opinions, whose very prin- 
ciples are professedly rebellious. 
Bp. llall, Christ and Cassar. 
impure (im-pur'), a. [= F. impur = Sp. Pg. It. 
impuro, < L. impurus, inpurus, not pure, < in- 
pnv. + purus, pure: see pure.'] 1. Not pure 
physically ; mixed or impregnated with extra- 
neous, and especially with offensive, matter; 
foul; feculent; tainted: as, impure water or 
air; impure salt or magnesia. 
Breathing an impure atmosphere injures the mind as 
well as the body. Huxley and Youinan*, 1'hysiol., i 395. 
2. Not simple or unmixed; mixed or combined 
with something else : said of immaterial things. 
Unless one surface of the prism be covered by an opaque 
plate, with a narrow slit In It parallel to the edge of the 
prism, the spectrum produced in this way is very impurt, 
1. e. the spaces occupied by the various homogeneous rays 
overlap one another. P. 0. Tait, Eucyc. Brit., XIV. 693. 
3. Not pure morally; unchaste; obscene; lewd: 
as, impure language or ideas; impure actions. 
Mine eyes, like sluices, . . . 
Shall gush pure streams to purge my impure tale. 
Shak., Lucrece, L 1078. 
One could not devise a more proper hell for an impure 
spirit than that which Plato has touched upon. AJ<ti*on. 
4. Of a contaminating nature ; causing defile- 
ment, physical or moral ; unclean; abominable. 
Defaming as impure what God declares 
Pure, ana commands to some, leaves free to all. 
Milton, P. L., iv. 740. 
The notion that there (s something impure and defil- 
ing, even in a just execution, is one which may be traced 
through many ages, and executioners, as the ministers of 
the law, have been from very ancient times regarded as 
unholy. Lecky, Europ. Morals, II. 41. 
5. Not in conformity with a standard of cor- 
rectness, simplicity, etc.: as, an impure style of 
writing. Impure syllogism, a syllogism which in- 
volves an immediate inference. = Syn. 1. Dirty, filthy. 
2. Coarse, gross, ribald, vulgar, immodest, bawdy, 
impuret (im-pur'), r. [< L. "impurare (in pp. 
impuratus), make impure. < impurus, tnpurus, 
impure: see impure, a.] I. trans. To make im- 
pure; defile. 
What longer suffering could there lie, when Religion it 
self grew so void of sincerity, and the greatest shows of 
purity were impur'df Milton, Hist. Eng., v. 
II. intrans. To grow impure. Davies. 
Pure, In she (the soul) came ; there living, Shea impure*; 
And sutfers there a thousand Woes the while. 
Sylvester, tr. of P. Mathieu's Memorials of Mortality. 
impurely (im-pur'li), adc. In an impure man- 
ner; with impurity. 
impureness (im-pur'nes), n. The quality or 
condition of being impure ; impurity. 
Impuritant (im-pu'ri-tan), n. [< iw- 3 + Puri- 
tan.'] One who is not a Puritan. [Rare.] 
If those who are tearmed Rattle-heads and Impuritani 
would take up a Resolution to begin in moderation of 
haire, to the just reproach of those that are called Puri- 
tans and Round-heads, I would honour their inaniinesse. 
.V. H'anf, Simple Cobler, p. 32. 
impurity (im-pu'ri-ti), .; pi. impurities (-tiz). 
[=F. iniptwti' = Pr. impuritat = iSp.impiiridad 
= Pg. impuridtnle = It. iiii/iHrita, < L. imtiitri- 
ta(t-)s, inpurita(t-)s, impurity, < impurus, inpu- 
