Imps

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɪmps/

Definitions

1. Small, mischievous supernatural beings often associated with mischief and pranks
2. diminutive creatures in folklore known for their playful, sometimes troublesome behaviors
3. entities in mythology or fantasy that embody chaos and trickery, often serving a greater power or deity

Etymology: The modern sense, a small mischievous spirit or child, grew out of a horticultural image. Old English "impian" meant "to graft," the process of inserting a shoot from one plant into another so it would grow on. That verb came from Vulgar Latin "imputare," itself borrowed from Greek "emphytos," "implanted," built from "en" (in) and "phyein" (to bring forth or grow). A "imp" was originally the graft or young shoot itself, the thing being set into a stock. From that gardening sense, Middle English also developed the verb "impen" meaning to mend a falcon's broken feather by attaching a new one to the stump, and it is this idea of inserting something new into a body that connects the two uses. The leap to demons came later and is less tidy: a young, lively shoot came to suggest a lively young creature, and by the late Middle Ages "imp" was applied to a child, then to a small devil or mischievous sprite. Plural "imps" is simply the form of "imp" used for more than one such creature.

Synonyms: sprites, goblins, demons

Antonyms: angels