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Impress

1. To press, stamp, or print something in or upon; to mark by pressure, or as by pressure; to imprint (that which bears the impression). His heart, like an agate, with your print impressed. (Shak)

2. To produce by pressure, as a mark, stamp, image, etc.; to imprint (a mark or figure upon something).

3. To fix deeply in the 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)

4. [See Imprest, impress, 5] to take by force for public service; as, to impress sailors or money. The second five thousand pounds impressed for the service of the sick and wounded prisoners. (Evelyn)

Origin: L. Impressus, p. P. Of imprimere to impress; pref. Im- in, on _ premere to press. See press to squeeze, and cf. Imprint.

to be impressed; to rest. Such fiendly thoughts in his heart impress. (Chaucer)

1. The act of impressing or making.

2. A mark made by pressure; an indentation; imprint; the image or figure of anything, formed by pressure or as if by pressure; result produced by pressure or influence. The impresses of the insides of these shells. (Woodward) This weak impress of love is as a figure Trenched in ice. (Shak)

3. Characteristic; mark of distinction; stamp.

4. A device. See Impresa. To describe . . . Emblazoned shields, impresses quaint. (Milton)

5. [See Imprest, press to force into service] The act of impressing, or taking by force for the public service; compulsion to serve; also, that which is impressed. Why such impress of shipwrights? (Shak) impress gang, a party of men, with an officer, employed to impress seamen for ships of war; a press gang. Impress money, a sum of money paid, immediately upon their entering service, to men who have been impressed.