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Fairy vs Imp - What's the difference?

fairy | imp |

Imp is a synonym of fairy.



As nouns the difference between fairy and imp

is that fairy is the realm of faerie; enchantment, illusion while imp is a young shoot of a plant, tree etc.

As a verb imp is

to plant or engraft.

As an initialism IMP is

inosine monophosphate.

fairy

English

(wikipedia fairy)

Alternative forms

* faery * faerie

Noun

(fairies)
  • (uncountable, obsolete) the realm of faerie; enchantment, illusion.
  • A mythical being who had magical powers, known in many sizes and descriptions, although often depicted in modern illustrations only as small and spritely with gauze-like wings; A sprite.
  • (Northern England, US, derogatory, colloquial) a male homosexual, especially one who is effeminate.
  • (paganism) A nature spirit revered in modern paganism.
  • Two species of hummingbird in the genus Heliothryx.

    • Synonyms

    * (mythical being) fay, fey, fae, sprite * (male homosexual) fag (US), faggot (US), poof (UK), queen (wikipedia fairy)

    Derived terms

    * airy-fairy * fairy bread * fairy chess * fairy circle * fairy cycle * fairy dust * fairy floss * fairy godmother * fairy lights * fairy lily * fairy primrose * fairy ring * fairy ring champignon * fairy shrimp * fairy story * fairy tale * fairy thorn * fairy wren * fairyfloss * fairyland * fairy-tale, fairytale * tooth fairy * water fairy

    imp

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A young shoot of a plant, tree etc.
  • * Sir Orfeo , 69:
    • Þai sett hem doun al þre / Vnder a fair ympe-tre.
  • (obsolete) A scion, offspring; a child.
  • * 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene I.3:
    • And thou most dreaded impe of highest Ioue'', / Faire ''Venus sonne, [...] come to mine ayde [...].
  • * Fairfax
    • The tender imp was weaned.
  • A young or inferior devil; a malevolent supernatural creature, similar to a demon but smaller and less powerful.
  • * Beattie
    • to mingle in the clamorous fray of squabbling imps
  • A mischievous child.
  • * 1908 ,
    • I've left my young children to look after themselves, and a more mischievous and troublesome set of young imps doesn't exist...
  • (UK, dialect, obsolete) Something added to, or united with, another, to lengthen it out or repair it, such as an addition to a beehive; a feather inserted in a broken wing of a bird; or a length of twisted hair in a fishing line.

    • Synonyms

    * (mischievous child) brat, urchin, little dickens

    Derived terms

    * impish * implike

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To plant or engraft.
  • (archaic) To graft, implant; to set or fix.
  • *1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , IV.9:
  • *:That headlesse tyrants tronke he reard from ground, / And, having ympt the head to it agayne, / Upon his usuall beast it firmely bound, / And made it so to ride as it alive was found.
  • (falconry) To engraft feathers into a bird's wing.
    • "For, if I imp my wing on Thine" – Herbert (1633)
  • To eke out, strengthen, enlarge.

    • Anagrams

    * (l) * (l) * (l)