Part 5597

<hw>Im*peach"</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Impeached</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Impeaching</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[OE. <ets>empeechier</ets> to prevent, hinder, bar, F. <ets>emp\'88cher</ets>, L. <ets>impedicare</ets> to entangle; pref. <ets>im-</ets> in + <ets>pedica</ets> fetter, fr. <ets>pes</ets>, <ets>pedis</ets>, foot. See <er>Foot</er>, and <er>Appeach</er>, <er>Dispatch</er>, <er>Impede</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To hinder; to impede; to prevent.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<blockquote>These ungracious practices of his sons did <b>impeach</b> his journey to the Holy Land. <i>Sir J. Davies.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>A defluxion on my throat <b>impeached</b> my utterance. <i>Howell.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To charge with a crime or misdemeanor; to accuse; especially to charge (a public officer), before a competent tribunal, with misbehavior in office; to cite before a tribunal for judgement of official misconduct; to arraign; <as>as, to <ex>impeach</ex> a judge</as>. See <er>Impeachment</er>.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>Hence, to charge with impropriety; to dishonor; to bring discredit on; to call in question; <as>as, to <ex>impeach</ex> one's motives or conduct</as>.</def>

<blockquote>And doth <b>impeach</b> the freedom of the state. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>4.</b> <fld>(Law)</fld> <def>To challenge or discredit the credibility of, as of a witness, or the validity of, as of commercial paper.</def>

<note>&hand; When used in law with reference to a witness, the term signifies, to discredit, to show or prove unreliable or unworthy of belief; when used in reference to the <i>credit</i> of witness, the term denotes, to impair, to lessen, to disparage, to destroy. The credit of a witness may be <i>impeached</i> by showing that he has made statements out of court contradictory to what he swears at the trial, or by showing that his reputation for veracity is bad, etc.</note>

<syn>Syn. -- To accuse; arraign; censure; criminate; indict; impair; disparage; discredit. See <er>Accuse</er>.</syn>

<h1>Impeach</h1> <Xpage=734>

<hw>Im*peach"</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>Hindrance; impeachment.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<h1>Impeachable</h1> <Xpage=734>

<hw>Im*peach"a*ble</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>That may be impeached; liable to impeachment; chargeable with a crime.</def>

<blockquote>Owners of lands in fee simple are not <b>impeachable</b> for waste. <i>Z. Swift.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Impeacher</h1> <Xpage=734>

<hw>Im*peach"er</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>One who impeaches.</def>

<h1>Impeachment</h1> <Xpage=734>

<hw>Im*peach"ment</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Cf. F. <ets>emp\'88chement</ets>.]</ety> <def>The act of impeaching, or the state of being impeached</def>; as: <sd>(a)</sd> <def>Hindrance; impediment; obstruction.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<blockquote>Willing to march on to Calais, Without <b>impeachment</b>. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<sd>(b)</sd> <def>A calling to account; arraignment; especially, of a public officer for maladministration</def>.

<blockquote>The consequence of Coriolanus' <b>impeachment</b> had like to have been fatal to their state. <i>Swift.</i></blockquote>

<sd>(c)</sd> <def>A calling in question as to purity of motives, rectitude of conduct, credibility, etc.; accusation; reproach; <as>as, an <ex>impeachment</ex> of motives</as></def>.

<i>Shak.</i>

<note>&hand; In England, it is the privilege or right of the House of Commons to impeach, and the right of the House of Lords to try and determine impeachments. In the United States, it is the right of the House of Representatives to impeach, and of the Senate to try and determine impeachments.</note>

<cs><col>Articles of impeachment</col>. <cd>See under <er>Article</er>.</cd> -- <col>Impeachment of waste</col> <fld>(Law)</fld>, <cd>restraint from, or accountability for, injury; also, a suit for damages for injury.</cd></cs>

<i>Abbott.</i>

<h1>Impearl</h1> <Xpage=734>

<hw>Im*pearl"</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Impearled</er> <tt>(?)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Impearling</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[Pref. <ets>im-</ets> in + <ets>pearl</ets>: cf. F. <ets>emperler</ets>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To form into pearls, or into that which resembles pearls.</def> <mark>[Poetic]</mark>