Ib"sen*ism (?), n. The dramatic practice or purpose characteristic of the writings of Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906), Norwegian poet and dramatist, whose best-known plays deal with conventional hypocrisies, the story in each play thus developing a definite moral problem.
Ich"thy*ol (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, a fish + (prob.) L. oleum oil; but cf. Ichthyolite.] (Chem.) An oily substance prepared by the dry distillation of a bituminous mineral containing fossil fishes. It is used in medicine as a remedy in some forms of skin diseases.
I"con, n. (Gr. Ch.) A sacred picture representing the Virgin Mary, Christ, a saint, or a martyr, and having the same function as an image of such a person in the Latin Church.
I*con"o*graph (?), n. [See Iconography.] An engraving or other picture or illustration for a book.
I`co*no*ma"ni*a (?), n. [NL. See Icon, and Mania.] A mania or infatuation for icons, whether as objects of devotion, bric-a-brac, or curios.
I*de"al*ism, n. The practice or habit of giving or attributing ideal form or character to things; treatment of things in art or literature according to ideal standards or patterns; -- opposed to realism.
{ I*den"tic, I*den"tic*al }, a. In diplomacy (esp. in the form identic), precisely agreeing in sentiment or opinion and form or manner of expression; -- applied to concerted action or language which is used by two or more governments in treating with another government.
I"do ("d), n. An artificial international language, selected by the "Delegation for the Adoption of an Auxillary International Language" (founded at Paris in 1901), made public in 1907, and subsequently greatly revised and extended by a permanent committee or "Academy." It combines systematically the advantages of previous schemes with a thoroughly logical word formation, and has neither accented constants nor arbitrarily coined pronominal words. For each idea that root is selected which is already most international, on the principle of the "greatest facility for the greatest number of people." The word "Ido" means in the language itself "offspring." The official name is: "Linguo Internaciona di la Delegitaro (Sistema Ido)." -- I"dism (#), n. -- I"dist (#), n.
||I*do"lum (?), ||I*do"lon (&?;), n.; pl. Idola (#). [L. See Idol; cf. Eidolon.] Appearance or image; a phantasm; a spectral image; also, a mental image or idea.
IHVH. [Written also JHVH, YHVH.] A transliteration of the four constants forming the Hebrew tetragrammaton or "incommunicable name" of the Supreme Being, which in latter Jewish tradition is not pronounced save with the vowels of adonai or elohim, so that the true pronunciation is lost.
Numerous attempts have been made to represent the supposed original form of the word, as Jahaveh, Jahvaj, Jahve, Jahveh, Yahve, Yahveh, Yahwe, Yahweh, etc.
Im*mune" (?), n. One who is immune; esp., a person who is immune from a disease by reason of previous affection with the disease or inoculation.
Im*mun"i*ty, n. The state of being insusceptible to poison, the contagion of disease, etc.
||Im`passe" (N`päs"; E. m*ps"), n. [F.] An impassable road or way; a blind alley; cul-de-sac; fig., a position or predicament affording no escape.
The issue from the present impasse will, in all probability, proceed from below, not from above.
Arnold White.
Im*ped"ance (?), n. [Impede + -ance.] (Elec.) The apparent resistance in an electric circuit to the flow of an alternating current, analogous to the actual electrical resistance to a direct current, being the ratio of electromotive force to the current. It is equal to R2 + X2, where R = ohmic resistance, X = reactance. For an inductive circuit, X = 2πfL, where f = frequency and L = self-inductance; for a circuit with capacity X = 1 ÷ 2πfC, where C = capacity.
||Im*ped`i*men"ta (?), n. pl. [L. See Impediment, Impede.] Things which impede or hinder progress; incumbrances; baggage; specif. (Mil.), the supply trains which must accompany an army.
On the plains they will have horses dragging travoises, dogs with travoises, women and children loaded with impedimenta.
Julian Ralph.
Im*pe"ri*al, n. A game at cards differing from piquet in some minor details, and in having a trump; also, any one of several combinations of cards which score in this game.
Im*pe"ri*al*ism, n. The policy, practice, or advocacy of seeking, or acquiescing in, the extension of the control, dominion, or empire of a nation, as by the acquirement of new, esp. distant, territory or dependencies, or by the closer union of parts more or less independent of each other for operations of war, copyright, internal commerce, etc.
The tide of English opinion began to turn about 1870, and since then it has run with increasing force in the direction of what is called imperialism.
James Bryce.
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||Im*pe"ri*um (?), n.; pl. Imperia (#). [L. See Empire.] 1. Supreme power; absolute dominion; empire.
2. (Law) The right to command, which includes the right to employ the force of the state to enforce the laws. It is one of the principal attributes of the executive power.
||Im"pi (m"p), n. [Zulu.] A body of Kaffir warriors; a body of native armed men. [South Africa]
As early as 1862 he crossed assagais with and defeated a Matabili impi (war band).
James Bryce.
In*au`gu*ra"tion Day. The day on which the President of the United States is inaugurated, the 4th of March in every year next after a year divisible by four.
||In`croy`a"ble (?), n. [F., lit., incredible.] A French fop or dandy of the time of the Directory; hence, any fop.
The name is said to have been given in allusion not only to the extravagant dress, but also to the frequent use of the phrase "C'est vraiment incroyable" (That is really incredible.).
In"cu*ba`tor (?), n. 1. A contrivance for the cultivation of microörganisms by maintaining a suitable temperature.