▪ I. impressed, ppl. a.1
(ɪmˈprɛst)
[f. impress v.1 + -ed1.]
1. That is pressed or forced in, stamped upon something; stamped, marked by pressure or with impressions; in Zool. and Bot., having an appearance of being stamped in; sunk in, depressed.
| a 1420 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 644, I hertles was ay thurghe myne impressede drede. 1704 Norris Ideal World ii. vii. 349 Which species..because they are imprinted by the objects they come from upon the outward senses, are therefore in their first state called impressed species, images, or phantoms. 1826 Kirby & Sp. Entomol. IV. 284 Inaurate..when striæ or other impressed parts have a metallic splendour. 1845 Lindley Sch. Bot. v. (1858) 58 Seeds angular, impressed, brown speckled. 1854 Woodward Mollusca ii. 216 Shell smooth or plaited, dorsal valve frequently impressed. 1876 Tait Rec. Adv. Phys. Sc. ii. (ed. 2) 28 Change of motion is proportional to the impressed force. |
2. Electr. Of an e.m.f. or potential difference: applied by some external means.
| 1881 Jrnl. Soc. Telegr. Engin. X. 271 Let M be the induction through the coil when its plane is at right angles to the lines of force of the external field, wt the angle turned through from this plane at time t..; then Mw sin wt is the impressed e.m.f. in the coil. 1929 Encycl. Brit. XXII. 408/1 A small current flows into the excited winding sufficient to produce a counter voltage equal to the impressed voltage. 1948 [see impedance 1 a]. 1973 Sci. Amer. Oct. 125/1 Leakage through the capacitor should not exceed 10-10 ampere at an impressed potential of 10 volts. |
Hence imˈpressedly (-ɪdlɪ) adv., in an impressed manner.
| 1640 G. Watts tr. Bacon's Adv. Learn. iv. ii. (R. Suppl. s.v. Malacissation), Penetrating and insinuating remedies..convay more easily and impressedly the virtue thereof. |
▪ II. impressed, ppl. a.2
(ɪmˈprɛst)
[f. impress v.2 + -ed1.]
Enlisted; compelled to serve.
| 1605 Shakes. Lear v. iii. 51 To..turne our imprest Launces in our eies Which do command them. 1768–74 Tucker Lt. Nat. (1852) I. 573 You subject the impressed man to the same severities as the volunteer. 1803 Naval Chron. IX. 417 Volunteers and impressed men from the fleet. |