imprint
imprint — verb
1. to press a design, pattern, or mark into the outer layer of something, making a
to press a design, pattern, or mark into the outer layer of something, making a visible shape or hollow that stays there.
The artist imprinted her signature on the clay cup before it went into the kiln.
imprint + signature + on + surface (object as pattern)
Nkechi pressed the rubber stamp firmly to imprint the company logo onto each envelope.
A fossil of a prehistoric leaf was imprinted on the flat stone surface.
The child's bare footprint was imprinted in the wet cement of the garden path.
Wei carefully imprinted a flower pattern onto the leather cover of the notebook.
- erase
removes a mark instead of leaving one
文法句型
imprint + object + on/into + surface
用法筆記
Often followed by on or onto to specify the surface being marked. The passive form (be imprinted) is very common when describing a result rather than an action.
常見錯誤
2. to cause an image, experience, or idea to stay so firmly in someone's thoughts o
to cause an image, experience, or idea to stay so firmly in someone's thoughts or feelings that it is very hard to remove — for example, how the sight of a car crash can remain in a witness's mind for years.
The kindness of a stranger was imprinted on Asher's memory for the rest of his life.
passive: be imprinted on + memory
That final conversation imprinted itself on Léa's mind, and she often thought about it afterwards.
reflexive: imprint itself on + mind
The teacher's words of encouragement imprinted a deep sense of confidence in the young student.
Esteban's first visit to the desert imprinted a lasting love of open landscapes in him.
The old lullaby was deeply imprinted on Niran's mind, and he still hummed it at night.
- forget
the opposite outcome — the memory fades or disappears
文法句型
imprint + something + on/in + memory/mind
be imprinted on + memory/mind
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive or with a reflexive pronoun (imprint itself on). The direct object is typically an image, experience, or idea rather than a person. Distinguish from sense 1, which involves physical pressure on a surface.
常見錯誤
imprint — noun
1. a visible hollow or mark left on a surface when a person, animal, or object pres
a visible hollow or mark left on a surface when a person, animal, or object presses into it with enough force to change its shape.
The tyres left deep imprints in the muddy track through the forest.
leave + imprints in + soft surface
Nkechi noticed the clear imprint of a running shoe in the soft sand near the river.
The imprint of a wedding ring was still visible on the clay she had held for years.
Rainwater gathered in the hoof imprints left by horses on the dirt trail.
Dylan ran his fingers over the shallow imprint the key had left on the wooden desk.
- indentation
more general; can be made by any inward curve, not necessarily by pressure
- dent
implies damage; usually deeper and less precise than an imprint
- depression
formal; a sunken area on a flat surface
- bump
a raised area rather than a hollow one
文法句型
imprint + of + object
leave an imprint
用法筆記
Used for literal, physical indentations. For figurative lasting effects, see noun sense 3.
常見錯誤
2. the name and identifying information of a publisher, shown on a book's title pag
the name and identifying information of a publisher, shown on a book's title page or copyright page, which may indicate a particular series or edition.
The title page shows the imprint of Oxford University Press in small gold letters.
imprint + of + publisher name
This edition of the novel was published under a small independent imprint in Taipei.
The collector could identify the printing year from the imprint on the copyright page.
The library catalogue lists both the New York and London imprints of the same academic work.
Arjun searched for older imprints of the textbook because they contained a different introduction.
- publisher's mark
less common, broader meaning
- colophon
a specific publisher's emblem or logo, not the full text details
文法句型
imprint + of + publisher
under + a/an + imprint
3. a strong, long-lasting effect that an experience, a person, or a place has on so
a strong, long-lasting effect that an experience, a person, or a place has on someone's character, feelings, or way of thinking.
Repairing fishing nets before dawn with her father left a lasting imprint on Sivan's work ethic.
leave a lasting imprint on + person/character
Bombed-out buildings still lined Yuna's market route — the war had left a deep imprint on this city.
The folk tales Mateo's grandmother told him — of rabbits outrunning tigers — made a deep imprint on his imagination.
When Noor's art teacher said 'your drawings have real feeling,' that encouragement left an imprint guiding her toward design.
Teaching at a rural school in Kenya left a permanent imprint on Indra's understanding of community.
- fading effect
something that quickly disappears without lasting influence
文法句型
leave/make an imprint on
a lasting/deep/indelible imprint
用法筆記
Nearly always used with an adjective (lasting, deep, indelible, permanent) and followed by on. Distinguish from noun sense 1, which refers to a physical mark rather than a figurative influence.