Adjacent Words

Impress definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

IMPRESS', v.t. [L. impressum, from imprimo; in and premo, to press.]
1. To imprint; to stamp; to make a mark or figure on any thing by pressure; as, to impress coin with the figure of a man's head, or with that of any ox or sheep; to impress a figure on wax or clay.
2. To print, as books.
3. To mark; to indent.
4. To fix deep; as, to impress truth on the mind, or facts on the memory. Hence, to convict of sin.
5. To compel to enter into public service, as seamen; to seize and take into service by compulsion, as nurses in sickness. In this sense, we use press or impress indifferently.
6. To seize; to take for public service; as, to impress provisions.
IM'PRESS, n. A mark or indentation, made by pressure.
1. The figure or image of any thing made by pressure; stamp; likeness.
2. Mark of distinction; stamp; character.
God leaves us this general impress or character on the works of creation, that they were very good.
3. Device; motto.
To describe emblazoned shields,
Impresses quaint--
4. The act of compelling to enter public service. [See Press.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the act of coercing someone into government service [syn: impress, impressment] v
1: have an emotional or cognitive impact upon; "This child impressed me as unusually mature"; "This behavior struck me as odd" [syn: affect, impress, move, strike]
2: impress positively; "The young chess player impressed her audience"
3: produce or try to produce a vivid impression of; "Mother tried to ingrain respect for our elders in us" [syn: impress, ingrain, instill]
4: mark or stamp with or as if with pressure; "To make a batik, you impress a design with wax" [syn: impress, imprint]
5: reproduce by printing [syn: print, impress]
6: take (someone) against his will for compulsory service, especially on board a ship; "The men were shanghaied after being drugged" [syn: shanghai, impress]
7: dye (fabric) before it is spun [syn: impress, yarn-dye]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, from Latin impressus, past participle of imprimere, from in- + premere to press — more at press Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. to apply with pressure so as to imprint b. to produce (as a mark) by pressure c. to mark by or as if by pressure or stamping 2. a. to produce a vivid impression of b. to affect especially forcibly or deeply ; gain the admiration or interest of <her honesty impressed us> 3. transfer, transmit intransitive verb to produce an impression Synonyms: see affect • impressibility noun • impressible adjective II. noun Date: 1590 1. a characteristic or distinctive mark ; stamp <the impress of a fresh and vital intelligence is stamped…in his work — Lytton Strachey> 2. impression, effect <have an impress on history> 3. the act of impressing 4. a. a mark made by pressure ; imprint b. an image of something formed by or as if by pressure; especially seal c. a product of pressure or influence III. transitive verb Etymology: ²in- + ³press Date: 1596 1. to levy or take by force for public service; especially to force into naval service 2. a. to procure or enlist by forcible persuasion b. force <impressed him into a white coat for the Christmas festivities — Nancy Hale> IV. noun Date: 1602 impressment

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. v. & n. --v.tr. 1 (often foll. by with) a affect or influence deeply. b evoke a favourable opinion or reaction from (a person) (was most impressed with your efforts). 2 (often foll. by on) emphasize (an idea etc.) (must impress on you the need to be prompt). 3 (often foll. by on) a imprint or stamp. b apply (a mark etc.) with pressure. 4 make a mark or design on (a thing) with a stamp, seal, etc. 5 Electr. apply (voltage etc.) from outside. --n. 1 the act or an instance of impressing. 2 a mark made by a seal, stamp, etc. 3 a characteristic mark or quality. 4 = IMPRESSION 1. Derivatives: impressible adj. Etymology: ME f. OF empresser (as EN-(1), PRESS(1)) 2. v.tr. hist. 1 force (men) to serve in the army or navy. 2 seize (goods etc.) for public service. Derivatives: impressment n. Etymology: IN-(2) + PRESS(2)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Impresa Im*pre"sa, n. [It. See Emprise, and cf. Impress, n., 4.] (Her.) A device on a shield or seal, or used as a bookplate or the like. [Written also imprese and impress.] My impresa to your lordship; a swain Flying to a laurel for shelter. --J. Webster.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Impress Im*press", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Impressed; p. pr. & vb. n. Impressing.] [L. impressus, p. p. of imprimere to impress; pref. im- in, on + premere to press. See Press to squeeze, and cf. Imprint.] 1. To press, stamp, or print something in or upon; to mark by pressure, or as by pressure; to imprint (that which bears the impression). His heart, like an agate, with your print impressed. --Shak. 2. To produce by pressure, as a mark, stamp, image, etc.; to imprint (a mark or figure upon something). 3. Fig.: To fix deeply in the mind; to present forcibly to the attention, etc.; to imprint; to inculcate. Impress the motives of persuasion upon our own hearts till we feel the force of them. --I. Watts. 4. [See Imprest, Impress, n., 5.] To take by force for public service; as, to impress sailors or money. The second five thousand pounds impressed for the service of the sick and wounded prisoners. --Evelyn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Impress Im*press", v. i. To be impressed; to rest. [Obs.] Such fiendly thoughts in his heart impress. --Chaucer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Impress Im"press, n.; pl. Impresses. 1. The act of impressing or making. 2. A mark made by pressure; an indentation; imprint; the image or figure of anything, formed by pressure or as if by pressure; result produced by pressure or influence. The impresses of the insides of these shells. --Woodward. This weak impress of love is as a figure Trenched in ice. --Shak. 3. Characteristic; mark of distinction; stamp. --South. 4. A device. See Impresa. --Cussans. To describe . . . emblazoned shields, Impresses quaint. --Milton. 5. [See Imprest, Press to force into service.] The act of impressing, or taking by force for the public service; compulsion to serve; also, that which is impressed. Why such impress of shipwrights? --Shak. Impress gang, a party of men, with an officer, employed to impress seamen for ships of war; a press gang. Impress money, a sum of money paid, immediately upon their entering service, to men who have been impressed.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(impresses, impressing, impressed) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If something impresses you, you feel great admiration for it. What impressed him most was their speed... Cannon's film impresses on many levels. VERB: V n, V • impressed I was very impressed by one young man at my lectures... ADJ: v-link ADJ, oft ADJ by/with n 2. If you impress something on someone, you make them understand its importance or degree. I had always impressed upon the children that if they worked hard they would succeed in life... I've impressed upon them the need for more professionalism... I impressed on him what a huge honour he was being offered. VERB: V on/upon n that, V on/upon n n, V on/upon n wh 3. If something impresses itself on your mind, you notice and remember it. But this change has not yet impressed itself on the minds of the British public. VERB: V pron-refl on n 4. If someone or something impresses you as a particular thing, usually a good one, they gives you the impression of being that thing. Billy Sullivan had impressed me as a fine man. VERB: V n as n/-ing

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Stamp, print, imprint, mark by pressure. 2. Affect, strike, move. 3. Inculcate, fix deeply. 4. Press, force into public service. II. n. 1. Print, imprint, stamp, impression, mark, seal. 2. Device (as upon a seal), motto, cognizance, symbol, emblem.

Moby Thesaurus

Ditto copy, Photostat, Xerox, Xerox copy, abduce, abduct, affect, alveolation, alveolus, annex, aquatint, aroma, arrest the thoughts, attach, attribute, autolithograph, backlash, backwash, badge, beat into, bed, blaze a trail, blemish, block, block print, blotch, boss, brainwash, brand, bring home to, bring into play, bring out, bump, cachet, call up, carry, carry away, carry off, cast, catch the thoughts, catechize, chalk, chalk up, character, characteristic, check, check off, chromolithograph, cicatrize, clout, collectivize, colophon, color print, come home to, commandeer, communalize, communize, concavity, condition, configuration, confirm, confiscate, conscript, contact print, convert to use, convexity, copperplate, copperplate print, crayon engraving, crimp, cut, dactylogram, dactylograph, dapple, dash, deep-dye, define, delimit, demarcate, dent, depress, detach, detach for service, differentia, differential, dimple, dint, discolor, distinctive feature, distrain, dot, draft, drive, earmark, electrify, embed, emboss, embossment, emphasize, engraft, engrave, engravement, engraving, enlargement, enlist, enlist into service, enroll, enthuse, entrench, establish, etch, etching, excite, excrescence, expropriate, fall back upon, feature, figure, fingerprint, fix, flavor, fleck, footmark, footprint, footstep, force, fossil footprint, found, freckle, furrow, galvanize, garnish, gash, get, get out, gouge, grab, graphotype, grave, ground, gust, hallmark, hammer, hatch, have recourse to, hectograph, hectograph copy, hit, hit the mark, hold for ransom, honeycomb, ichnite, ichnolite, idiocrasy, idiosyncrasy, imbue, impact, implant, impound, impregnate, impress forcibly, impression, imprint, inculcate, indent, indentation, indention, indenture, index, individualism, indoctrinate, induct, infix, influence, infuse, ingrain, inoculate, inscribe, inspire, instill, issue, jam, join, keynote, kidnap, letterpress, levy, line, lineaments, linoleum-block print, list, lithograph, lodge, look to, lump, mackle, make a mark, make an impression, mannerism, mark, mark off, mark out, marking, mezzotint, mimeograph, mimeograph copy, mobilize, mold, mottle, move, multigraph, muster, muster in, nationalize, nature, negative, nick, notch, odor, offcut, offprint, offset, overprint, pack, pad, particularity, paw print, pawmark, peculiarity, pencil, pepper, persuade, photocopy, photograph, photostatic copy, pimple, pique, pit, plant, pock, pockmark, point, positive, pound, press, press in, prick, print, program, proof, property, prove, provoke, publish, pug, pugmark, pull, pull a proof, punch, punch in, punctuate, puncture, put in requisition, put out, put to bed, put to press, quality, quirk, raise, reach, reaction, recess, recoil, recruit, recur to, refer to, reflex, reissue, repercussion, replevin, replevy, reprint, resort to, response, revert to, riddle, rock, root, rubber-block print, run, run away with, run off, savor, scar, scarify, score, scotch, scratch, seal, seam, seat, sequester, sequestrate, set, set back, set in, setoff, settle, shanghai, shape, sigil, sign on, sign up, signet, singularity, sink in, skyjack, smack, smite, snatch, socialize, specialty, speck, speckle, spirit away, splotch, spot, stain, stamp, stat, step, stereotype, stigmatize, stimulate, stir, streak, stress, striate, strike, strike hard, strike home, stripe, stud, summon, sunken part, sway, taint, take to, tamp, tang, taste, tattoo, tell, thrill, thumbmark, thumbprint, tick, tick off, token, touch, trace, trait, traumatize, trick, turn to, turn to use, underline, underscore, urge, vestige, vignette, wedge, wood engraving, woodblock, woodcut, woodprint, xylograph