imprint
imprint Lexical Profile
imprint Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A mark, indentation, or outline produced by pressing an object onto a surface.
"The paleontologist carefully brushed away the silt to reveal the fossilized imprint of an ancient fern leaf."
A lasting influence, distinctive characteristic, or permanent effect left on someone or something.
"Years of studying abroad left an unmistakable imprint on her worldview and artistic style."
A trade name or brand division under which a publishing house issues specific series or categories of books, or the publisher's details printed on a title page.
"The novel was released under the publisher's new literary fiction imprint."
• verb
To impress, stamp, or press a mark or outline onto a surface.
"The artisan used a heated brass die to imprint the family crest onto the leather cover."
To fix or establish an idea, image, or memory firmly and indelibly in someone's mind.
"The breathtaking view of the canyon at sunrise was forever imprinted in her memory."
To come to recognize another animal, person, or object as a parent or habitual object of trust during an early critical developmental stage (in zoology and psychology).
"Newly hatched goslings will typically imprint on the first moving creature they encounter."
Word Nuance & Usage
Like many English noun-verb pairs, 'imprint' is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable (IM-print) when used as a noun, and typically on the second syllable (im-PRINT) when used as a verb.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Old French 'empreinter' (to stamp or engrave), which derives from Vulgar Latin '*impremere', formed from the Latin prefix 'in-' (into, upon) and 'premere' (to press).