- a fund of cash from which a department or other unit pays incidental expenses, topped up periodically from central funds
- chiefly Brit an advance from government funds for the performance of some public business or service
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
im•prest1
(im′prest),USA pronunciation n.
im•prest2 (im prest′),USA pronunciation v. [Archaic.]
- an advance of money;
loan.
- Latin im- im-1 + praestāre to be responsible for (prae- pre- + stāre to stand, influenced in sense by praes, stem praed- guarantor, one acting as surety
- Italian imprestare
- probably noun, nominal use of obsolete verb, verbal imprest to advance money to 1560–70
im•prest2 (im prest′),USA pronunciation v. [Archaic.]
- pt. and pp. of impress.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
imprest /ɪmˈprɛst/ n
im•press1 /v. ɪmˈprɛs; n. ˈɪmprɛs/USA pronunciation
v.
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [ ~ + obj] to affect (someone) deeply;
influence:impressed us as sincere. - [ ~ + obj] to create a favorable impression on (someone):Her excellent work impressed me.
- to establish firmly in the mind:[~ + on + object + object]We impressed on her the necessity of being honest.
- [ ~ + obj] to produce (a mark) by pressure as from a stamp;
imprint:to impress a picture of a duck by using a stamp pad and some ink. - [ ~ + obj] to furnish with a mark by or as if by stamping:to impress the page with his seal.
n. [countable]
- a mark made by or as if by pressure.
im•press1
(v. im pres′;n. im′pres),USA pronunciation v., -pressed or (Archaic) -prest;
-pres•sing;
n.
v.t.
v.i.
n.
im•press′er, n.
im•press2 (v. im pres′;n. im′pres),USA pronunciation v., -pressed or (Archaic) -prest;
-pres•sing;
n.
v.t.
n.
-pres•sing;
n.
v.t.
- to affect deeply or strongly in mind or feelings;
influence in opinion:He impressed us as a sincere young man. - to fix deeply or firmly on the mind or memory, as ideas or facts:to impress the importance of honesty on a child.
- to urge, as something to be remembered or done:She impressed the need for action on them.
- to press (a thing) into or on something.
- to impose a particular characteristic or quality upon (something):The painter impressed his love of garish colors upon the landscape.
- to produce (a mark, figure, etc.) by pressure;
stamp;
imprint:The king impressed his seal on the melted wax. - to apply with pressure, so as to leave a mark.
- to subject to or mark by pressure with something.
- to furnish with a mark, figure, etc., by or as if by stamping.
- Electricityto produce (a voltage) or cause (a voltage) to appear or be produced on a conductor, circuit, etc.
v.i.
- to create a favorable impression;
draw attention to oneself:a child's behavior intended to impress.
n.
- the act of impressing.
- a mark made by or as by pressure;
stamp;
imprint. - a distinctive character or effect imparted:writings that bear the impress of a strong personality.
- Latin impressus past participle of imprimere to press into or upon, impress, equivalent. to im- im-1 + pressus past participle of premere (combining form -primere) to press1; see print
- Middle English 1325–75
- 1. move, sway, disturb; persuade.
im•press2 (v. im pres′;n. im′pres),USA pronunciation v., -pressed or (Archaic) -prest;
-pres•sing;
n.
v.t.
- to press or force into public service, as sailors.
- to seize or take for public use.
- to take or persuade into service by forceful arguments:The neighbors were impressed into helping the family move.
n.
- impressment.
- im-1 + press2 1590–1600
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
impress vb /ɪmˈprɛs/ (transitive)
- to make an impression on; have a strong, lasting, or favourable effect on: I am impressed by your work
- to produce (an imprint, etc) by pressure in or on (something): to impress a seal in wax, to impress wax with a seal
- (often followed by on) to stress (something to a person); urge; emphasize
- to exert pressure on; press
- the act or an instance of impressing
- a mark, imprint, or effect produced by impressing
impress vb /ɪmˈprɛs/
- to commandeer or coerce (men or things) into government service; press-gang
- the act of commandeering or coercing into government service; impressment
'imprest' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):