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impeach

more about impeach

impeach

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Impeach  \Im*peach"\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Impeached};  p.  pr  & 
  vb  n.  {Impeaching}.]  [OE.  empeechier  to  prevent,  hinder, 
  bar,  F.  emp[^e]cher,  L.  impedicare  to  entangle;  pref.  im-  in 
  +  pedica  fetter,  fr  pes,  pedis,  foot.  See  {Foot},  and 
  {Appeach},  {Dispatch},  {Impede}.] 
  1.  To  hinder;  to  impede;  to  prevent.  [Obs.] 
 
  These  ungracious  practices  of  his  sons  did  impeach 
  his  journey  to  the  Holy  Land.  --Sir  J. 
  Davies. 
 
  A  defluxion  on  my  throat  impeached  my  utterance. 
  --Howell. 
 
  2.  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  to  impeach  a  judge.  See  {Impeachment}. 
 
  3.  Hence  to  charge  with  impropriety;  to  dishonor;  to  bring 
  discredit  on  to  call  in  question;  as  to  impeach  one's 
  motives  or  conduct. 
 
  And  doth  impeach  the  freedom  of  the  state.  --Shak. 
 
  4.  (Law)  To  challenge  or  discredit  the  credibility  of  as  of 
  a  witness,  or  the  validity  of  as  of  commercial  paper. 
 
  Note:  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 
  credit  of  witness,  the  term  denotes,  to  impair,  to 
  lessen,  to  disparage,  to  destroy.  The  credit  of  a 
  witness  may  be  impeached  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 
 
  Syn:  To  accuse;  arraign;  censure;  criminate;  indict;  impair; 
  disparage;  discredit.  See  {Accuse}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Impeach  \Im*peach"\,  n. 
  Hindrance;  impeachment.  [Obs.] 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  impeach 
  v  1:  challenge  the  honesty  or  credibility  of  as  of  witnesses 
  2:  charge  with  an  offense  or  misdemeanor;  "The  public  officials 
  were  impeached" 
  3:  charge  with  a  crime  or  misdemeanor 
  4:  bring  an  accusation  against;  level  a  charge  against;  "He 
  charged  the  man  with  spousal  abuse"  [syn:  {accuse},  {incriminate}, 
  {criminate}]




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