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That which impedes or hinders progress, motion, activity, or effect. Thus far into the bowels of the land Have we marched on without impediment. Shak. Impediment in speech, a defect which prevents distinct utterance.

Causing hindrance; impeding. "Cumbersome, and impeditive of motion." Bp. Hall.

To drive or urge forward or on; to press on; to incite to action or motion in any way. The surge impelled me on a craggy coast. Pope.

, as to knowledge, reason, sympathy, etc.; unimpressible; not to be moved by arguments or motives; as, an impenetrable mind, or heart. They will be credulous in all affairs of life, but impenetrable by a sermon of the gospel. Jer. Taylor.

A property possessed by a moving body in virtue of its weight and its motion; the force with which any body is driven or impelled; momentum.

To be of importance or consequence to; to have a bearing on; to concern. I have a motion much imports your good. Shak. If I endure it, what imports it you Dryden.

ty may fall on any one; a curse. Men cowered like slaves before such horrid imprecations. Motley.

device. See Impresa. An imprese, as the Italians call it, is a device in picture with his motto or word, borne by noble or learned personages. Camden.

e mind; to present forcibly to the attention, etc.; to imprint; to inculcate. Impress the motives of persuasion upon our own hearts till we feel the force of them. I. Watts.

le; impressible. He was too impressionable; he had too much of the temperament of genius. Motley. A pretty face and an impressionable disposition. T. Hook.

ke, on a sudden, or without previous preparation. Charles attempted to improvise a peace. Motley.

ing onward with sudden force; impulsion; especially, force so communicated as to produced motion suddenly, or immediately. All spontaneous animal motion is performed by mechanical impulse. S. Clarke.

iving onward, or the state of being impelled; the sudden or momentary agency of a body in motion on another body; also, the impelling force, or impulse. "The impulsion of the air." Bacon.

To cause to begin, esp. with formality or solemn ceremony; hence, to set in motion, action, or progress; to initiate; -- used especially of something of dignity or worth or public concern; as, to inaugurate a new era of things, new methods, etc. As if kings did closes remarkable days to inaugurate their favors. Sir H.…

has a tendency to incite, to determination or action; that which prompts to good or ill; motive; spur; as, the love of money, and the desire of promotion, are two powerful incentives to action. The greatest obstacles, the greatest terrors that come in their way, are so far from making them quit the work they had begun…

Motion on foot; progress in walking. [Obs.] The incession or local motion of animals. Sir T. Browne.

The larva of any geometrid moth. See Geometrid.

That which incites to action; that which rouses or prompts; incitement; motive; incentive. The noblest incitation to honest attempts. Tatler.

That which incites the mind, or moves to action; motive; incentive; impulse. Burke. From the long records of a distant age, Derive incitements to renew thy rage. Pope.

Inciting to motion; -- applied to that action which, in the case of muscular motion, commences in the nerve centers, and excites the muscles to contraction. Opposed to excito-motor.