Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
impetuosity
impetuous
impetus
impf.
Imphal
impi
impiety
imping
impinge
impious
impish
implacable
implant
implantation
implausible
implead
implement
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "impinging" in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

impinge

im·pinge [ im pínj ] (past and past participle im·pinged, present participle im·pinge·ing, 3rd person present singular im·ping·es)


intransitive verb 
Definition:
 
1. interfere: to affect the limits of something, especially a right or law, often causing some kind of restriction ( formal )
Members claimed that canceling the ballot impinged on their voting rights.

2. strike: to strike or hit something
Loud noise can impinge on the eardrum, causing temporary hearing damage.

[Mid-16th century. < Latin impingere "drive in forcibly" < pangere "drive or fix in"]

im·pinge·ment noun
im·ping·er noun
Advertisement

Also on Encarta
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
Also on MSN
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
MSN Shopping
Encarta RSS Feeds
© 2008 Microsoft