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imp

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A small demon, devil, or mischievous sprite; also a troublesome child; as a verb, to graft or repair, especially adding feathers to a falcon's wing.

Detailed Definition
As noun, “imp” denotes minor devil or rascal; as verb, it means to splice (e.g., feathers on arrow). In poetry, both appear: imps torment saints; poets imp truth with fiction. The duality allows metaphor—grafting vice onto innocence. Poets use it to explore corruption, creation, or playful malice in allegorical, satirical, and descriptive contexts.
Example
Example in poetry:
“A merry imp danced in the firelight,” in a folkloric scene; In Shakespeare’s The Tempest: “You demi-puppets that / By moonshine do the green sour ringlets make... / And the quaint mazes in the wanton green”—evoking impish spirits; “The imp of doubt whispered in his ear,” a psychological image; “He was an imp of mischief, yet kind-hearted”; “The poet called his muse a gentle imp”; No imp, but angel, guided her hand.
Additional Notes
“Imp” as demon appears in Miltonic or witchcraft lore; as verb (“to imp wings”), it means to graft feathers for flight—an alchemical metaphor for renewal or artificial enhancement in metaphysical poetry.
Also Known As
sprite demon mischievous child jackanapes scamp
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