impeach

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“
Betray us to the crowd--impeach, calumniate, malign us if you will--we are above death, we should walk cheerfully to the den of the lion, or the rack of the torturer--we can trample down the darkness of the grave, and what is death to a criminal is eternity to the Christian A low and applauding murmur ran through the assembly Thou comest amongst us as an examiner, mayest thou remain a convert!

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Definitions (16)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (5)

  1. transitive verb To make an accusation against.
  2. transitive verb To charge (a public official) with improper conduct in office before a proper tribunal.
  3. transitive verb To challenge the validity of; try to discredit: impeach a witness's credibility.
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Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English empechen, to impede, accuse, from Anglo-Norman empecher, from Late Latin impedicāre, to entangle : Latin in-, in; see in-2 + Latin pedica, fetter; see ped- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. Formerly also empeach, empeche; from Middle English empechen, empeshen (later impesh, q. v.), from Old French empescher, empeescher (Middle Latin reflex impechiare), French empêcher, hinder, stop, bar, apparently = Provencal empedegar, from Middle Latin impedicare, inpedicare, catch, entangle, literally fetter, from Latin in, in, + pedica, a fetter, from pe(d-)s, foot (see foot), but mixed in sense with Old French empacher = Provencal empaichar, empaitar, enpazar, empechar = Spanish empachar = Portuguese empachar, overload, = Italian impacciare, delay, apparently from Middle Latin as if *impactiare, from Latin impingere, past participle impactus, strike against, fasten upon, fasten: see impact, impinge. The same radical elements are involved in depeach, despatch, q. v. Hence, by variation, appeach, and, by apheresis of this, peach, q. v.
  2. from impeach, v.
 

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/ɪmˈpitʃ/
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