Part 45

Milton.

3. Acting with nothing interposed or between, or without the intervention of another object as a cause, means, or agency; acting, perceived, or produced, directly; as, an immediate cause.

The immediate knowledge of the past is therefore impossible.

Sir. W. Hamilton.

Immediate amputation (Surg.), an amputation performed within the first few hours after an injury, and before the the effects of the shock have passed away.

Syn. -- Proximate; close; direct; next.

Im*me"di*ate*ly (?), adv. 1. In an immediate manner; without intervention of any other person or thing; proximately; directly; -- opposed to mediately; as, immediately contiguous.

God's acceptance of it either immediately by himself, or mediately by the hands of the bishop.

South.

2. Without interval of time; without delay; promptly; instantly; at once.

And Jesus . . . touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Matt. viii. 3.

3. As soon as. Cf. Directly, 8, Note.

Syn. -- Directly; instantly; quickly; forthwith; straightway; presently. See Directly.

Im*me"di*ate*ness, n. The quality or relations of being immediate in manner, place, or time; exemption from second or interventing causes. Bp. Hall.

Im*me"di*a*tism (?), n. Immediateness.

Im*med"i*ca*ble (?), a. [L. Immedicabilis. See In- not, and Medicable.] Not to be healed; incurable. "Wounds immedicable." Milton.

Im`me*lo"di*ous (?), a. Not melodious.

Im*mem"o*ra*ble (?), a. [L. immemorabilis; pref. im- not + memorabilis memorable: cf. F. immémorable. See Memorable.] Not memorable; not worth remembering. Johnson.

Im`me*mo"ri*al (?), a. [Pref. im- not + memorial: cf. F. immémorial.] Extending beyond the reach of memory, record, or tradition; indefinitely ancient; as, existing from time immemorial. "Immemorial elms." Tennyson. "Immemorial usage or custom." Sir M. Hale.

Time immemorial (Eng. Law.), a time antedating (legal) history, and beyond "legal memory" so called; formerly an indefinite time, but in 1276 this time was fixed by statute as the begining of the reign of Richard I. (1189). Proof of unbroken possession or use of any right since that date made it unnecessary to establish the original grant. In 1832 the plan of dating legal memory from a fixed time was abandoned and the principle substituted that rights which had been enjoyed for full twenty years (or as against the crown thirty years) should not be liable to impeachment merely by proving that they had not been enjoyed before.

Im`me*mo"ri*al*ly, adv. Beyond memory. Bentley.

Im*mense" (?), a. [L. immensus; pref. im- not + mensus, p. p. of metiri to measure: cf. F. immense. See Measure.] Immeasurable; unlimited. In commonest use: Very great; vast; huge. "Immense the power" Pope. "Immense and boundless ocean." Daniel.

O Goodness infinite! Goodness immense!

Milton.

Syn. -- Infinite; immeasurable; illimitable; unbounded; unlimited; interminable; vast; prodigious; enormous; monstrous. See Enormous.

Im*mense"ly, adv. In immense manner or degree.

Im*mense"ness, n. The state of being immense.