impressment
/ɪmˈpɹɛsmənt/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 1.76 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The act of seizing for public use; impressing into public service, especially military service and (most often) naval service.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "owing to the immense number of our sailors, and the extent of our commerce, we were enabled by impressment and other means, to fit out and man a powerful fleet in a few weeks"
- "Although it was a warm day, she seemed to think of nothing but the fire. I fancied she was jealous even of the saucepan on it; and I have reason to know that she took its impressment into the service of boiling my egg and broiling my bacon, in dudgeon […]"
- "A month later the governors of six more states, meeting in conference, enigmatically urged the impressment of slaves for “the public service as may be required.”"
- "[…] in years when need was pressing, […] the government would order the construction of extra ships at specified points on the shores of the Black Sea and Mediterranean, and the impressment of craftsmen to do the work."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Latin in- Proto-Indo-European *per-? Proto-Indo-European *pres-der. Proto-Italic *pres- Latin premō Latin imprimō Latin impressusder. Middle English impressen English impress Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Old French -mentbor. Middle English -ment English -ment English impressment From impress + -ment.