Impression — Defs

01 n. The act of impressing, or the state of being impressed; the communication of a stamp, mold, style, or character, by external force or by in…

1.
The act of impressing, or the state of being impressed; the communication of a stamp, mold, style, or character, by external force or by influence.
2.
That which is impressed; stamp; mark; indentation; sensible result of an influence exerted from without.
“The stamp and clear impression of good sense.” — Cowper.

“To shelter us from impressions of weather, we must spin, we must weave, we must build.” — Barrow.
3.
That which impresses, or exercises an effect, action, or agency; appearance; phenomenon.[Obs.]
“Portentous blaze of comets and impressions in the air.” — Milton.

“A fiery impression falling from out of Heaven.” — Holland.
4.
Influence or effect on the senses or the intellect hence, interest, concern.
“His words impression left.” — Milton.

“Such terrible impression made the dream.” — Shak.

“I have a father's dear impression, And wish, before I fall into my grave, That I might see her married.” — Ford.
5.
An indistinct notion, remembrance, or belief.
6.
Impressiveness; emphasis of delivery.
“Which must be read with an impression.” — Milton.
7.
The pressure of the type on the paper, or the result of such pressure, as regards its appearance; as, a heavy impression; a clear, or a poor, impression; also, a single copy as the result of printing, or the whole edition printed at a given time; as, a copy from the fifth impression.(Print.)
“Ten impressions which his books have had.” — Dryden.
8.
In painting, the first coat of color, as the priming in house painting and the like.[R.]
9.
A print on paper from a wood block, metal plate, or the like.(Engraving)

Phrases & compounds

Proof impression — one of the early impressions taken from an engraving, before the plate or block is worn.