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Oni vs Imp - What's the difference?

oni | imp |

As nouns the difference between oni and imp

is that oni is a Japanese evil spirit or demon while imp is a young shoot of a plant, tree etc.

As a proper noun ONI

is initialism of Office of Naval Intelligence|lang=en.

As a verb imp is

to plant or engraft.

As an initialism IMP is

inosine monophosphate.

oni

English

Noun

(en-noun)
  • A Japanese evil spirit or demon.
  • * 1908 , Henri L. Joly, Legend in Japanese Art: A Description of Historical Episodes, Legendary Characters, Folk-lore, Myths, Religious Symbolism, Illustrated in the Arts of Old Japan , page 263-264
    • ONI' . Generic name for devils, the representation of which in art is quite a common feature. ' Onis have claws, a square head with two horns, sharp teeth, and malignant eyes surmounted by big eyebrows; occasionally they wear trousers of tiger skin.
  • * 1918 , William Elliot Griffis, Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks
    • Across the ocean, in Japan, there once lived curious creatures called Onis . Every Japanese boy and girl has heard of them, though one has not often been caught.
  • * 1979 , Marian Ury, Tales of Times Now Past: Sixty-Two Stories from a Medieval Japanese Collection , University of California Press, ISBN 0520038649, page 147:
    • "That's no human being playing the instrument," he thought in amazement. "It can only be an oni or some such being."
  • * 1992 , Karl M. Schwarz, Netsuke Subjects: A Study on the Netsuke Themes with Reference to Their Interpretation and Symbolism , Böhlau Verlag Wien, ISBN 3205055152, page 46:
    • The standing Shoki holds with his left hand an oni on his leg.
  • * 2005 , Christopher Hart, Manga Mania Shoujo: How to Draw the Charming and Romantic Characters of Japanese Comics , ISBN 0823029735, page 69
    • This is actually a boy bishie in the form of an ogre. It's called an oni in Japanese. Onis have supernatural powers that can command the forces of nature such as wind (to create hurricanes) and lightning (to create thunderbolts).
  • * 2011 , Mike Shel, "Ecology of the Oni", Jade Regent: The Brinewall Legacy , Paizo Publishing, ISBN 978-1-60125-361-3, page 69:
    • The oni are a diverse group of evil spirits who take on the form of humanoid creatures so that they can enjoy the pleasures and vices of the flesh.
    ----

    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)