| 释义 |
▪ I. imprest, a. and n.1|ˈɪmprɛst|
[Appears in the 16th c. for the earlier prest a. and n. The prefix im- occurs in It. (and med.L.) imprestāre to lend, impresto, imprestito advanced, lent (cf. OF. emprest a loan), imprestanza (OF. imprestance) a loan, advance, but in English may have been partly due to a misunderstanding of the common phrase in prest (money): see prest a.]
†A. adj. Of money: Lent, or paid in advance, advanced, esp. to soldiers, sailors, and public officials. Obs.
1570Act 13 Eliz. c. 4. §1 Receiver of any Sums of Money imprest, or otherwise, for the Use of the Queen's Majesty. 1634Sir T. Herbert Trav. Ded. A ij b, Such imprest money I doe not like, but protest against it and the pay⁓master. 1658Phillips, Imprest Money, is money paid to Souldiers before hand. 1690Lond. Gaz. No. 2580/4 Some Seamen..having received Imprest Money or Wages..have Absconded. 1737List Govt. Officers in J. Chamberlayne's St. Gt. Brit. ii. 87 Accomptant for Imprest Money for paying of Incidents. 1755N. Magens Insurances II. 257 To insure the..imprest Money advanced to Seamen.
B. n.
1. a. An advance (of money) made to one who is charged with some business by the state, to enable him to proceed with the discharge of the same. † Formerly, also, advance-pay of soldiers or sailors.
1568North tr. Gueuara's Diall Pr. (1619) 678/1, I did accept in way of imprest, and not of gift. 1588Copy Let. to Mendoza 20 For the Nauy of England..bargaines are already made, and Imprest of money deliuered, and certaine sent into the Estlands, for great store of al maritime prouisions. 1600Dekker Gentle Craft Wks. 1873 I. 11 They [the soldiers] have their imprest, coates, and furniture. 1617Moryson Itin. ii. 242 Upon every Contract we make, we give the Victualers an imprest beforehand. 1633T. Stafford Pac. Hib. iii. xvii. (1810) 654 He had lately received a great imprest of Spanish money. 1723Lond. Gaz. No. 6141/2 Navy-Office, Feb. 20, 1722..All Persons who have any Imprest standing out against them..are advised to bring in their Bills. 1748Anson's Voy. i. i. 9 The Government agreed to advance them 10,000[{pstlg}] upon imprest. 1863H. Cox Instit. iii. vii. 690 The moneys drawn from the Exchequer are applied partly to final payments, and partly to advances or ‘imprests’.
b. In general sense: An advance, a loan. (In quots. said of the borrower.)
1686W. de Britaine Hum. Prud. §37. 122 There is nothing which doth more impoverish a Prince, than Imprests of Money at great Usance. 1704Flamsteed Diary 8 Nov. in Hone Every-day Bk. I. 1096, I would not cumber my..estate with imprests or securitys. 1957F. King Man on Rock iii. 81 He drew up a log⁓book for the car, checked the postage imprest. 1958E. A. Robertson Justice of Heart iv. 48 Off you go, see the foreign editor, get an imprest—don't imagine you can squander money on this trip, though!
c. Auditor of the Imprest (see quot. 1670). bill of imprest, an order authorizing a person to draw money in advance: cf. imprest-bill.
1665Pepys Diary (1879) III. 331, I did get a bill of imprest to Captain Cocke to pay myselfe in part. 1668Lond. Gaz. No. 277/4 All such Accounts as pass by the Auditors of Imprests. 1670Blount Law Dict., Auditor of the Prests or Imprests, Are..Officers in the Exchequer, who take and make up the great Accompts of Ireland, Berwick, the Mint, and of any Money imprested to any Man for His Majesties service. 1741Betterton Eng. Stage ii. 7 After he had so profitable a Post, as Auditor of the Imprest. 1781Act 21 Geo. III, c. 56 §10 The Receipt of the Vice-Chancellor shall be allowed by the Auditor and Auditors of the Imprest.
2. attrib. and Comb., as imprest-account, imprest-accountant (see quot. 1865); † imprest-bill = bill of imprest; † imprest-office, formerly, a department of the Admiralty which attended to the advances made to paymasters and other officials.
1615Sir R. Boyle in Lismore Papers (1886) I. 60 For this debt I have his imprest bills. 1666Pepys Diary (1879) IV. 123 The clearing of all my imprest bills. 1865Times 17 Aug., The person to whom the advance is made is called the ‘imprest accountant’. 1893Daily News 27 Aug. 7/1 The ‘imprest’ account..related to sums advanced to officers for the purpose of making inquiries.
▪ II. † imprest, n.2 Obs.
Also 7 emprest.
[f. imprest v.2: cf. impress n.2]
= impressment2.
1610Donne Pseudo-Martyr xi. §7. 326 To disobey the Kings emprest when hee leuies an Armie. 1627J. Carter Expos. Serm. on Mount 47 To bee compelled, by imprest from authority, to go a mile, a league, or more, at the officers pleasure. 1651N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. ii. xxii. (1739) 103 None were then compelled to enter into Service by Imprest, or absolute Command.
▪ III. † imˈprest, v.1 Obs.
[ad. It. (and med.L.) imprestāre to lend: see imprest n.1, and the earlier prest v.]
1. trans. To advance, lend (money).
1565Queen Elizabeth Let. to Bedford in Robertson Hist. Scot. (1759) II. App. 28 The other 2000l...to imprest some part thereof to the new numbers of the 600 footmen and 100 horsemen. 1646J. Temple Irish Rebell. ii. 3 Both of them had money imprested; Sir Thomas Lucas to compleat his Troope.., Captaine Armstrong to raise a new Troop. 1780Burke Corr. (1844) II. 331 The sum that shall be imprested by the exchequer to the bank, to answer these drafts. 1810Ann. Reg. 453 These half-yearly accounts do not exhibit the money imprested to the conductor, or the balance due from him.
b. With inverted construction: To furnish (a person) with an advance of money.
1612Davies Why Ireland, etc. (1747) 58 He should have four thousand Markes for the first year, whereof he should be imprested 2,000 li before hand. 1613Sir R. Boyle in Lismore Papers (1886) I. 23 This day I impresed [= imprested] my mother in lawe..wth 50li ster. to sett the worck in hande.
2. To draw (a bill or money by a bill).
1617Moryson Itin. ii. 207 Billes imprested upon accounts here. 1661Pepys Diary 13 June, So to the Wardrobe and got my Lord to order Mr. Creed to imprest so much upon me to be paid by Alderman Buckwell.
Hence imˈpresting vbl. n., advancing (of money), loan.
1565Queen Elizabeth Let. to Bedford in Robertson Hist. Scot. (1759) II. App. 28 The impresting to him of 1000l. might stand him in stead for the help to defend himself. 1591Sir H. Unton Corr. (Roxb.) 2 Greate sommes of money..by waie of imprestinge yealded to the said Kinge since he came to the crowne.
▪ IV. † imˈprest, v.2 Obs.
[f. imprest, -pressed, pa. pple. of impress v.2, perh. confused with imprest v.1]
trans. To impress for the army or navy.
1645Martin's Echo in Prynne Fresh Discov. Prodig. Wand. Blazing Stars 44 You have your Husbands, your Sons and Servants, Imprested from you. 1651N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. ii. xi. (1739) 62 Englishmen were anciently used to be imprested for the Wars in France. a1680Butler Rem. (1759) II. 174 He will join as many Shields together..to fortify the Nobility of a new made Lord, that will pay for the impresting of them, and allow him Coat and Conduct Money. 1704Royal Proclam. 14 Dec. in Lond. Gaz. No. 4081/2 Captains..Imployed in Impresting Men for Our Fleet. 1708Ibid. No. 4415/3 No Men shall be Imprested from any Merchant Ships.
▪ V. † imˈprest, v.3 Obs. rare.
Erroneous for impress v.1 (Due to the confusion of impress and imprest in the two preceding vbs.) Hence imˈpresting vbl. n.
1652Gaule Magastrom. 93 Either the stars doe inflow and imprest, yea, portend, and signify perpetually, or not. 1659Gentl. Calling (1696) 111 It is..the duty of those who are possest of this advantage, to use it to the impresting not of Vice, but Vertue. |