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It is not only important, but, in a degree necessary, that the people of this country, should have an American Dictionary of the English language; for, although the body of the language is the same as in England, and it is desirable to perpetuate that sameness, yet some differences must exist. Language is the expression of ideas; and if the people of one country cannot preserve an identity of ideas, they cannot retain an identity of language. |
IMPE'RIAL, a. [L.imperialis, from impero, to command. See Emperor.]
Of or pertaining
to an empire, or to an emperor; as, an imperial government;
imperial authority or edict.
The last Belonging to, or suitable to, supreme
authority, or one who wields it; royal; sovereign; supreme.
"The imperial democracy of Athens." Mitford.
Who, as Ulysses says, opinion crowns To tame the proud, the fetter'd slave to free, He sounds his imperial clarion along the whole line of battle. E. Everett. Of superior or unusual size or excellence;
as, imperial paper; imperial tea, etc.
Imperial bushel, gallon, etc. See Bushel, Gallon, etc. -- Imperial chamber, the, the sovereign court of the old German empire. -- Imperial city, under the first German empire, a city having no head but the emperor. -- Imperial diet, an assembly of all the states of the German empire. -- Imperial drill. (Manuf.) See under 8th Drill. -- Imperial eagle. (Zoöl.) See Eagle. -- Imperial green. See Paris green, under Green. -- Imperial guard, the royal guard instituted by Napoleon I. - - Imperial weights and measures, the standards legalized by the British Parliament. The tuft of hair on a man's lower lip and
chin; -- so called from the style of beard of Napoleon III.
An outside seat on a diligence.
T. Hughes. A luggage case on the top of a
coach.
Simmonds. Anything of unusual size or excellence, as
a large decanter, a kind of large photograph, a large sheet of
drawing, printing, or writing paper, etc.
A gold coin of Russia worth ten rubles, or
about eight dollars.
McElrath. A kind of fine cloth brought into England
from Greece. or other Eastern countries, in the Middle
Ages.
A game at cards
differing from piquet in some minor details, and in having a trump;
also, any one of several combinations of cards which score in this
game.
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