1. A mischievous child.
2. A small demon.
3. Obsolete. A graft.

1. To graft (new feathers) onto the wing of a trained falcon or hawk to repair damage or increase flying capacity.
2. To furnish with wings.

[Middle English impe, scion, sprig, offspring, from Old English impa, young shoot, from impian, to graft, ultimately from Medieval Latin impotus, graft, from Greek emphutos, grafted, from emphuein, to implant : en-, in; see en-² + phuein, to make grow.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.