imp Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun (folklore) fairies that are somewhat mischievous
    gremlin; hob; elf; brownie; pixie; pixy.
  2. noun one who is playfully mischievous
    monkey; rascal; rapscallion; scallywag; scamp; scalawag.

WordNet

Imp noun
Etymology
OE. imp a graft, AS. impa; akin to Dan. ympe, Sw. ymp, prob. fr. LL. impotus, Gr. engrafted, innate, fr. to implant; in + to produce; akin to E. be. See 1st In-, Be.
Definitions
  1. A shoot; a scion; a bud; a slip; a graft. Obs. Chaucer.
  2. An offspring; progeny; child; scion. Obs.
    The tender imp was weaned. Fairfax.
  3. A young or inferior devil; a little, malignant spirit; a puny demon; a contemptible evil worker.
    To mingle in the clamorous fray Of squabbling imps. Beattie.
  4. Something added to, or united with, another, to lengthen it out or repair it, -- as, an addition to a beehive; a feather inserted in a broken wing of a bird; a length of twisted hair in a fishing line. Obs. or Prov. Eng.
Imp transitive verb
Etymology
AS. impian to imp, ingraft, plant; akin to Dan. ympe, Sw. ympa, OHG. impfon, impiton, G. impfen. See Imp, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Imped ; present participle & verbal noun Imping
Definitions
  1. To graft; to insert as a scion. Obs. Rom. of R.
  2. (Falconry) To graft with new feathers, as a wing; to splice a broken feather. Hence, Fig.: To repair; to extend; to increase; to strengthen to equip. Archaic
    Imp out our drooping country's broken wing. Shak.
    Who lazily imp their wings with other men's plumes. Fuller. Here no frail Muse shall imp her crippled wing. Holmes.
    Help, ye tart satirists, to imp my rage With all the scorpions that should whip this age. Cleveland.

Webster 1913