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I M P 
To IMPRO'VE, v. a. [in and probus \ quafi prohum facere. 
Skinner. ] To advance any thing nearer to perfection ; to 
raife from good to better.—We amend a bad, but improve 
a good, thing.—I love not to improve the honour of the 
living by impairing that of the dead. Denham. 
Heaven feems improv'd with a Superior ray, 
And the bright arch reflefts a,double day. Pope. 
[In and prove ; improver, Fr. improbo, Lat.] To difprove. 
Now difufed. —Though the prophet Jeremy was unjuftly 
accufed, yet doth not that improve any thing that I have 
laid. Whitgift. 
To IMPRO'VE, v.n. To advance in goodnefs.—We 
take care to improve in our frugality and diligence ; vir¬ 
tues which become us, particularly in time of war. At- 
terbury. 
IMPROVEMENT, f. Melioration ; advancement of 
any thing from good to better.—Some virtues tend to the 
prefervation of health, and others to the improvement and 
Security of eftates. Ti/lotfon. — Aft of improving ; fome- 
thing added or changed for the better; fometimes with on. 
.i—The parts of Sinon, Camilla, and Some few others, are 
improvements on the Greek poet. Addifon. —Progrefs from 
o-ood to better.—There is a deiign of publishing the hif- 
tory of architecture, with its Several improvements and de¬ 
cays. Addifon. —Inltruftion ; edification.-—I look upon- 
your city as the beft place of improvement ; from the School 
we go to the univerfity, but from the univerfities to Lon¬ 
don. South.— Effect of melioration.—Love is the greateft 
of human affeftions, and friend (hip the noblelt and rnoft 
refined improvement of love. South. 
IMPROVER, f. One that makes himfelf or any thing 
elfe better.—Homer is like a Skilful improver, who places 
a beautiful llatue So as to anfvver Several villas. Pope .— 
Any thing that meliorates.—Chalk is a very great improver 
of molt lands. Mortimer. 
IMPROVI'DED, adj. [ improvifus, Lat. imprevu, Fr.] 
Unfotefeen; unexpefted; unprovided againft: 
She fuborned hath 
This crafty meflenger with letters vain, 
To work new woe and improvided fcath, 
By breaking off the band betwixt us twain. Spenfer. 
IMPROVIDENCE, f [from improvident.'] Want of 
forethought; want of caution.—The improvidence of my 
neighbour muff not make me inhuman. L'EJlrange. 
IMPROVIDENT, adj. [improvidus, Lat.] Wanting 
forecalt; wanting care to provide: 
When men well have fed, the blood being warm, 
Then are they molt improvident of harm. Daniel. 
IMPROV'IDENTLY, adv. Without forethought ; 
without care : 
Now we are in the ftreet, he firft of all, 
Improvidently proud, creeps to the wall; 
And, fo imprifon’d and hemm’d in by me. 
Sells for a little Hate his liberty. Donne. 
IMPROVING, /. The aft of making better. 
IMPROVIS'ION, f. [ in and provfon.\ Want of fore¬ 
thought.—Her improvifion would be jultly accufable. Brown. 
IMPRU'DENCE, f. [ imprudence, Fr. imprudentia, Lat.] 
Want of prudence; indiscretion; negligence; inattention 
to intereft: 
Where good with bad were match’d, who of themfelves 
Abhor to join ; and by imprudence mix’d. 
Produce prodigious births of body and mind. Milton. 
IMPRU'DENT, adj. [ imprudent, Fr. imprudens, Lat.] 
Wanting prudence; injudicious; indifereet; negligent.— 
There is no Such imprudent perfon as h,e that neglefts- God 
and his foul. Tillotjon. 
IMPRU'DENTLY, adv. Without prudence, injudici¬ 
ously, negligently. 
IMPRU'DENTNESS, f. The Hate of being imprudent. 
Scott. 
I M P 
IMPRUD 1 AMENTUM, f. In old records, the im¬ 
provement of lands by culture. 
IM'PUDENCE, or Im'pudency, f. [ impudence , Fr. im¬ 
pudent ta, Lat.] Shameleffnefs; immodefty.—Nor did 
Noah’s infirmity juftify Cham’s impudency, or exempt him 
from that curfe of being Servant of Servants. King Charles. 
I ne’er heard yet 
That any of thefe bolder vices vvanted 
Lefs impudence to gainfay what they did. 
Than to perform it firft. ' Shakefpeare. 
IM'PUDENT, adj. [impudent, Fr. impudens, Lat.] Shame- 
lels ; wanting modelty.—It is not a confident brow, nor 
the throng of words that come with S’udh more than im¬ 
pudent faweinefs from you, can thrult me from a level 
consideration. Shakefpeare. 
When we behold an angel, not to fear 
Is to be impudent. Drydcn. 
Unchafte; igimodeft. 
IM'PUDENTLY, adv. [from impudent .] Shamelefslv; 
without modelty: 
Why lhould Soft Fabius impudently bear 
Naihes gain’d by conquelt in the Gallic war? 
Why lays he claim to Hercules his Strain, 
Yet dares be bale, effeminate, and vain ? Drydcn. 
IMTUDENTNESS, f. The ftate or quality of being 
impudent. 
IMPUDI'CITY, f. [from in, Lat. contrary to, and pu- 
dens, baflrful.] Lewdnefs, obfeenity. 
To IMPU'GN, v. a. [impugner, Fr. impugno, Lat.] To 
attack ; to affault by law or argument.—I cannot think 
myfelf engaged to difcourfe of lots, as to their nature, ufe, 
and allowablepefs; and that not only in matters of mo¬ 
ment and bufinefs, but alfo of recreation, which is im¬ 
pugned by fome, though better defended by others. South. 
Of a Strange nature is the Suit you follow ; 
Yet in fuch rule, that the Venetian law 
Cannot impugn you. Shakefpeare. 
To tranfgrefs the rules of: 
Why hath thy hand too bold itfelfe embrew’d 
In blood of knight, the which by thefe is flaine, 
By thee no knight; which armes hnpugneth plaine. Spenf. 
IMPU'GNERjyi One that attacks or invades. 
IMPUIS'SANCE,/. [French.] Impotence; inability; 
weaknefs; feeblenels.—As he would not truft .Ferdinando 
and Maximilian for Supports of war, fo the impuiffance of 
the one, and the double proceeding of the other, lay fair 
for him for occafions to accept of peace. Bacon. 
IMTULSE, f. [ impulfus , Lat.] Communicated force; 
the efteftof one bodyafting upon another.—Bodies, from 
the impulfe of a fluid, can only gravitate in proportion to 
their Surfaces, and not according to their quantity of 
matter, which is contrary to experience. Ckeyne. —Influ¬ 
ence afting upon the mind ; motive; idea imprelfed.— 
Thefe were my natural impulfes for the undertaking ; but 
there was an accidental motive, which was full as forci¬ 
ble. Dryden.— Sometimes accented on the laft Syllable ; 
Meantime, by Jove’s impulfe, Mezentius. arm’d, 
Succeeded Turnus. Dryden. 
Hoftile impreflion : 
Like two great rocks againft the raging tide. 
Unmov’d the two united chiefs abide, 
Suftain the impulfe, and receive the war. Prior. 
IMPUL'SED, adj. Impelled, driven on, forced forward. 
Scott. 
IMPUL'SION, f. [ impulfion, Fr. impulfus, Lat.} The 
agency of body in motion upon body.—To the impufion 
there is requilite the force of the body that moveth, and 
the refiitance of the body that is moved; and, if the body 
be too great, ityieldetli too little; and, if it be too Small, 
it refifteth too little. Bacon. —Inliuence operating upon 
the mind : 
But 
