GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

last match results

Found 4 definitions

1.       
   Imperfect , a. [L. imperfectus: pref. im- not + perfectus perfect: cf. F imparfait, whence OE. imparfit. See Perfect.]
   Not perfect; not complete in all its parts; wanting a part; defective; deficient.
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   Something he left imperfect in the state.
   Shak.
   
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   Why, then, your other senses grow imperfect.
   Shak.
   
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   Wanting in some elementary organ that is essential to successful or normal activity.
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   He . . . stammered like a child, or an amazed, imperfect person.
   Jer. Taylor.
   
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   Not fulfilling its design; not realizing an ideal; not conformed to a standard or rule; not satisfying the taste or conscience; aesthetically or morally defective.
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   Nothing imperfect or deficient left
   Of all that he created.
   Milton.
   
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   Then say not man's imperfect, Heaven in fault;
   Say rather, man's as perfect as he ought.
   Pope.
   
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   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.
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2.       
   Imperfect , n. (Gram.) The imperfect tense; or the form of a verb denoting the imperfect tense.
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3.       
   Imperfect, v. t. To make imperfect. [Obs.]
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4.       
   Preterimperfect , a. & n. [Pref. preter- + imperfect.] (Gram.) Old name of the tense also called imperfect.
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