IMPEACHING

Verb

impeaching

present participle of impeach

Source: Wiktionary


IMPEACH

Im*peach", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Impeached; p. pr. & vb. n. Impeaching.] Etym: [OE. empeechier to prevent, hinder, bar, F. empĂŞcher, 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)

Definition: 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.

Im*peach", n.

Definition: Hindrance; impeachment. [Obs.]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

4 June 2025

LEND

(verb) bestow a quality on; “Her presence lends a certain cachet to the company”; “The music added a lot to the play”; “She brings a special atmosphere to our meetings”; “This adds a light note to the program”


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