impose

▪ I. impose, v.
    (ɪmˈpəʊz)
    Also 6 empose.
    [a. F. impose-r (1302 in Godef.), earlier en-, emposer (11th c. in Littré), f. em-, im- (im-¹) + poser, taken as repr. of L. impōnĕre: see compose, pose. Introduced first in special senses, e.g. 3, 2 b; the general sense being expressed by native words.]
    I. trans.
    1. To lay on or set on; to place or set in a position; to put, place, or deposit. arch.

1597 A. M. tr. Guillemeau's Fr. Chirurg. 16/2 The Chirurgiane [shall] impose the foresayed guttes agayne into their places..imposing or layinge the hande one the wounde. 1599 ― tr. Gabelhouer's Bk. Physicke 37/2 Impose therin linnen cloutes. 1615 Chapman Odyss. xiii. 207 She impos'd a stone Close to the cauernes mouth. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. xvii. II. 7 It was here likewise..that Xerxes imposed a stupendous bridge of boats. 1867 J. B. Rose tr. Virgil's æneid 318 The mourners..on the tepid ground imposed more earth.

    b. Eccl. To lay on hands in blessing, or in ordination, confirmation, etc.

1582 N. T. (Rhem.) Mark x. 16 And imposing hands vpon them, he blessed them. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxvi. §1 When Israel blessed..Joseph's sons, he imposed upon them his hands and prayed. 1642 Jer. Taylor Episc. xxxii. 175 Bishops had a power of imposing hands, for collating of Orders, which Presbyters have not. 1658 Bramhall Consecr. Bps. vii. 177 What Priests did impose hands upon me.

    c. To place in command or office; to appoint or set up authoritatively. Now rare or Obs. exc. as associated with 4.

1617 Moryson Itin. ii. 57 And would be ready, after putting off the person which now was imposed on him, with much contentment to be commaunded by his Lordship. 1632 Lithgow Trav. iii. 78 They have a Generall..who deposeth, or imposeth Magistrates. 1682 Enq. Elect. Sheriffs 20 So ungrateful a thing hath it always been to the People of England, to have Sheriffs imposed upon, and set over them, otherwise than according to the course and direction of the Law.

    d. Printing. To lay pages of type or stereotype plates on the imposing-stone or the bed of a press, and secure them in a chase, in such order that the printed pages shall follow each other in proper order when the sheet is folded.

1652 Urquhart Jewel Wks. (1834) 182 His [the setter's] plenishing of the gally, and imposing of the form. 1652 [see impositor]. 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. 122/2 Imposing, is the placing of the Pages that belong to a Sheet, within the Chase..in order, that when the Sheet is wrought off..all the Pages may be foulded into an orderly succession. 1824 J. Johnson Typogr. II. xiv. 495 The compositor who imposes a sheet must correct the chargeable proof of that sheet. 1875 Knight Dict. Mech. 1172/1, 18, 24, 32 and 48mo. may be imposed in a similar manner, or may be so imposed as to be cut before folding.

    2. fig. a. In general sense: to put, place; to place authoritatively. b. To apply authoritatively or bestow (a name or title) upon, on, † to. (In quots. 1500, 1566 with inverted construction.) Now associated with 4. † c. To put authoritatively (an end, conclusion, etc.) to. Obs.

1681 R. Knox Hist. Ceylon 50 In whose service he imposeth greater confidence. 1818 Jas. Mill Brit. India II. iv. iv. 154 Lally had now..imposed upon the English so much respect, as deterred them from the siege.

b. c 1500 Melusine xix. 102 He was soone baptised and imposed to name Edon. c 1566 J. Alday tr. Boaystuau's Theat. World A vij, If thou wilt impose this worke a rapsodie, collation or gathering..thou shalt doe it no wrong. 1596 Spenser F.Q. v. viii. 49 To prove her surname true, that she imposed has. 1605 Camden Rem. (1637) 122 Riuers also haue imposed names to some men. 1669 Gale Crt. Gentiles i. i. vii. 36 The names, which the Phenicians imposed on those places. 1774 J. Bryant Mythol. II. 294 The name was imposed antecedent to his birth. 1862 Stanley Jew. Ch. (1877) I. ix. 183 The native names were altered, and new titles imposed by the Israelites.

c. 1541 R. Copland Galyen's Terapeut. 2 H j, We wyl shew y⊇ reason & maner to heale..than we wyl impose the ende of this fourth boke. 1581 Savile Agricola (1622) 197 To fiftie yeeres trauailes let this day impose a glorious conclusion. c 1611 Chapman Iliad xxiv. 708 Before they had imposed the crown To these solemnities.

    † 3. To lay (a crime, etc.) to the account of; to impute, charge. Obs. (The earliest recorded use.)

1484 Caxton Fables of æsop 2 b, How he excused hym of that was imposed to hym. 1502 [see imposant]. 1596 Drayton Legends ii. 447 On him, the King..Impos'd my Death. 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, iv. i. 157 The imputation of his wickednesse..should be imposed vpon his Father that sent him. 1663 Gerbier Counsel a viij a, It were a matter to impose as a charge upon the Author of such a Treatise.

    4. To lay on, as something to be borne, endured, or submitted to; to inflict (something) on or upon; to levy or enforce authoritatively or arbitrarily.

1581 N. Riding Rec. I. 250 And further that the said Empryngham at an Admyrall Court dyd sett and empose greate and grevouse Fynes. 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. v. ii. 850 Impose some seruice on me for my loue. 1593 ― 3 Hen. VI, iv. iii. 58 What Fates impose, that men must needs abide. 1601 R. Johnson Kingd. & Commw. (1603) 174 They..impose uppon the people al kinde of injuries. 1688 Bunyan Jerusalem Sinner (1886) 52 These bloody letters were not imposed upon me. I went to the high-priest and desired them of him. 1703 Pope Thebais 398 On impious realms..impose Thy plagues. 1741 Watts Improv. Mind i. vii. §11 To impose on a child to get by heart ‘a long scroll of unknown phrases or words’. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. vi. II. 159 Pretending to abhor tests, he had himself imposed a test. 1854 J. S. C. Abbott Napoleon (1885) lxi. 471/1 [Alexander said] We have no wish to impose the Bourbons on the French people. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 58 Minos..imposed upon the Athenians a cruel tribute.

    b. with double object (orig. dative of person and accusative of the thing).

1613 Heywood Silver Age iii. i. Wks. 1874 III. 126 For your sake I will impose him dangers, Such and so great. 1619 Brent tr. Sarpi's Counc. Trent (1676) 499 Cardinal Crescentius..was wont..to impose them silence. 1810 tr. Mad. de Stael Holstein's Libertine Husb. I. 52 Her admirer, Dorville, was imposed silence. 1873 Browning Red Cott. Nt.-cap 221 Before the servant be imposed a task.

    c. To put or levy (a tax, price, etc.) on or upon (goods, etc.).

1600 E. Blount tr. Conestaggio 18 They imposed a newe custome upon the salt. 1660 F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 228 [He] petitioned him he would bestow upon him the captive Princesse, or vouchsafe to impose a ransom on her. 1670 R. Coke Disc. Trade 15 To impose what wages they please upon their labours. 1863 H. Cox Instit. iii. ii. 601 That the Crown had the right to impose duties on foreign merchandise.

    d. To put or subject (a person, etc.) to a penalty, observance, etc.

1568 North tr. Gueuara's Diall Pr. (1619) 610 It is as necessary for the Courtier..to impose his tongue to silence. 1592 Constable Sonn. vii. vi, Thus long impos'd to euer⁓lasting plaining. 1599 Shakes. Much Ado v. i. 282 Impose me to what penance your inuention Can lay vpon my sinne.

    e. University or school slang. To punish (a person) by an imposition: see imposition 5 c.

1887 J. R. Magrath (in Let.), Very lately a man was imposed for having missed chapel.

    5. To obtrude or ‘put’ (a thing) upon (a person) by false representations; to palm or pass off.

1650 Evelyn Mem. 14 Dec., An impostor..had like to have impos'd upon us a pretended secret of multiplying gold. 1681–6 J. Scott Chr. Life (1747) III. 618 The God of Truth would never have empowered them to impose such a Cheat upon the World. 1712 tr. Pomet's Hist. Drugs I. 2 Take care..that Southernwood-seed be not imposed upon you for this. 1736 Bolingbroke Patriot. (1749) 142 A silly fellow can never impose himself for a man of sense. 1738 Birch Milton I. App. 73 First inventing a Falshood, and then imposing it on the World. 1837 Mackintosh, etc. Hist. Eng. V. i. 1 Thus early was he familiar with the art of imposing decorum for morality.

    II. intr. (Often with indirect passive).
    6. To put oneself upon: in various senses. a. To impose itself forcibly, authoritatively, or strikingly; to exert an influence on; to be of imposing character or appearance. † b. To encroach upon, to ‘put’ upon. Obs. c. To intrude, presume upon; to take advantage of.

a. 1625 Bacon Ess., Truth (Arb.) 499 When it [Truth] is found, it imposeth vpon mens Thoughts. 1669 Pepys Diary 30 Mar., They do think that I know too much, and shall impose upon whomever shall come next, and therefore must be removed. 1751 Chesterfield Lett. (1792) III. ccxlv. 126 If you engage his heart, you have a fair chance for imposing upon his understanding, and determining his will. 1881 Lubbock Addr. Brit. Assoc. in Nature No. 618. 411 Mechanism that imposes through its extreme simplicity. 1883 Lieut.-Col. Stewart in Pall Mall G. 23 Nov. 1/1 The troops, if not very formidable in quality, still impose through their number.

b. 1667 Pepys Diary 9 Jan., There is no danger, in the passing this Bill, of imposing on his [the King's] prerogative. 1694 Wood Let. June in Life (O.H.S.) III. 458 note, Imposing upon a generous person and making him a ridicule to the company..because of his then growing infirmity. a 1718 Penn Wks. (1726) I. 448 No Man is so accountable to his fellow Creatures, as to be imposed upon, restrained, or persecuted for any Matter of Conscience whatever.

c. 1670 Cotton Espernon Ded., I should not otherwise..have presum'd to impose upon your Protection. 1883 C. J. Wills Mod. Persia 46 An idle ‘vagrom’ man, who lives by imposing on the good nature of others. 1888 Mrs. H. Ward R. Elsmere I. 88 She wished her son to impose upon her when it came to his taking any serious step in life.

    7. To put a tax, to levy an impost (upon). ? Obs.

a 1618 Raleigh Prerog. Parl. (1628) 51 To Impose upon all things brought into the Kingdome is very ancient. 1642 Ord. Parl. Tonnage & P. 11 To restraine the Crowne from imposing upon the people without their consent. 1642 in Clarendon Hist. Reb. v. §21 Desire a bill, (the only old way of imposing on our subjects). 1871 Browning Pr. Hohenst. 1814 Who scores a septett true for strings and wind Mulcted must be—else how should I impose Properly?

    8. To practise imposture; with upon, on, to cheat or deceive by false representations.

1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. i. ii. §9 The great reason the world hath been so long time imposed upon with varieties of books going under the name of Hermes Trismegistus. 1712 Steele Spect. No. 300 ¶2 There are some so weak as to be imposed upon by fine Things and false Addresses. 1791 Paine Rights Man, It can be of no real service to a Nation, to impose upon itself, or to permit itself to be imposed upon. 1873 H. Rogers Orig. Bible i. (1875) 4 The counterfeit must have some resemblance to the genuine, else it would impose on nobody.

    Hence imˈposed ppl. a., in the various senses of the vb.; also imposed-upon: see sense 8 above.

1630 R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 134 The imposed buildings [on London bridge], being so many, and so beautifull. 1642 Jer. Taylor Episc. (1647) 139 To transplant them [words] to an artificiall, and imposed sense. 1706 De Foe Jure Div. Pref. 27 They obtain'd so much upon the subjected Minds of the Poor imposed-upon Multitude. 1827 G. Higgins Celtic Druids 217 It generally consists of four stones, three upright and one imposed. 1847 Grote Greece ii. xxxiii. (1862) III. 202 Of the nineteen silver-paying satrapies, the most heavily imposed was Babylonia.

▪ II. † imˈpose, n. Obs. rare.
    [f. impose v.]
    The imposition or laying on of a charge, duty, or task.

1591 Shakes. Two Gent. iv. iii. 8 According to your Ladiships impose, I am thus early come. 1605 Tryall Chev. ii. ii. in Bullen O. Pl. III. 293 But this impose is nothing, honour'd King.

Oxford English Dictionary