Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Impression

Impression , noun

[French impression, Latin impressio.]

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. [Obsolete]
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. — Reid
His words impression left. — Milton
Such terrible impression made the dream. — Shakespeare
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.
(Printing) 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.
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. [Rare]
9.
(Engraving) A print on paper from a wood block, metal plate, or the like.
Collocations (1)
Proof impression , one of the early impressions taken from an engraving, before the plate or block is worn.