5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Preterimperfect  \Pre`ter*im*per"fect\,  a.  &  n.  [Pref.  preter-  + 
  imperfect.]  (Gram.) 
  Old  name  of  the  tense  also  called  {imperfect}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Imperfect  \Im*per"fect\,  a.  [L.  imperfectus:  pref.  im-  not  + 
  perfectus  perfect:  cf  F  imparfait  whence  OE  imparfit  See 
  {Perfect}.] 
  1.  Not  perfect;  not  complete  in  all  its  parts  wanting  a 
  part  deective;  deficient. 
 
  Something  he  left  imperfect  in  the  state.  --Shak. 
 
  Why,  then,  your  other  senses  grow  imperfect.  --Shak. 
 
  2.  Wanting  in  some  elementary  organ  that  is  essential  to 
  successful  or  normal  activity. 
 
  He  .  .  .  stammered  like  a  child,  or  an  amazed, 
  imperfect  person.  --Jer.  Taylor. 
 
  3.  Not  fulfilling  its  design;  not  realizing  an  ideal;  not 
  conformed  to  a  standard  or  rule  not  satisfying  the  taste 
  or  conscience;  esthetically  or  morally  defective. 
 
  Nothing  imperfect  or  deficient  left  Of  all  that  he 
  created.  --Milton. 
 
  Then  say  not  man's  imperfect,  Heaven  in  fault;  Say 
  rather,  man's  as  perfect  as  he  ought.  --Pope. 
 
  {Imperfect  arch},  an  arch  of  less  than  a  semicircle;  a  skew 
  arch. 
 
  {Imperfect  cadence}  (Mus.),  one  not  ending  with  the  tonic, 
  but  with  the  dominant  or  some  other  chord;  one  not  giving 
  complete  rest;  a  half  close 
 
  {Imperfect  consonances}  (Mus.),  chords  like  the  third  and 
  sixth  whose  ratios  are  less  simple  than  those  of  the 
  fifth  and  forth. 
 
  {Imperfect  flower}  (Bot.),  a  flower  wanting  either  stamens  or 
  pistils.  --Gray. 
 
  {Imperfect  interval}  (Mus.),  one  a  semitone  less  than 
  perfect;  as  an  imperfect  fifth 
 
  {Imperfect  number}  (Math.),  a  number  either  greater  or  less 
  than  the  sum  of  its  several  divisors;  in  the  former  case, 
  it  is  called  also  a  {defective  number};  in  the  latter,  an 
  {abundant  number}. 
 
  {Imperfect  obligations}  (Law),  obligations  as  of  charity  or 
  gratitude,  which  cannot  be  enforced  by  law. 
 
  {Imperfect  power}  (Math.),  a  number  which  can  not  be  produced 
  by  taking  any  whole  number  or  vulgar  fraction,  as  a 
  factor,  the  number  of  times  indicated  by  the  power;  thus 
  9  is  a  perfect  square,  but  an  imperfect  cube. 
 
  {Imperfect  tense} 
  (Gram),  a  tense  expressing  past  time  and  incomplete 
  action 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Imperfect  \Im*per"fect\,  n.  (Gram.) 
  The  imperfect  tense;  or  the  form  of  a  verb  denoting  the 
  imperfect  tense. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Imperfect  \Im*per"fect\,  v.  t. 
  To  make  imperfect.  [Obs.] 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  imperfect 
  adj  1:  not  perfect;  defective  or  inadequate;  "had  only  an  imperfect 
  understanding  of  his  responsibilities";  "imperfect 
  mortals";  "drainage  here  is  imperfect"  [ant:  {perfect}] 
  2:  having  the  attributes  of  man  as  opposed  to  e.g.  divine 
  beings;  "I'm  only  human";  "frail  humanity"  [syn:  {fallible}, 
  {frail},  {weak}] 
  n  :  a  tense  of  verbs  used  in  describing  action  that  is  on-going 
  [syn:  {progressive},  {progressive  tense},  {imperfect 
  tense},  {continuous  tense}] 

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