v. t. [ OE. apechen, for empechen, OF. empeechier, F. empêcher, to hinder. See Impeach. ] To impeach; to accuse; to asperse; to inform against; to reproach. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And oft of error did himself appeach. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An accuser. [ Obs. ] Raleigh. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Accusation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

[ From the bay of Campeachy, in Mexico. ] Logwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. dépêcher. See Dispatch. ] To discharge. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

As soon as the party . . . before our justices shall be depeached. Hakluyt. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To hinder. See Impeach. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Impeached p. pr. & vb. n. Impeaching. ] [ OE. empeechier to prevent, hinder, bar, F. empêcher, L. impedicare to entangle; pref. im- in + pedica fetter, fr. pes, pedis, foot. See Foot, and Appeach, Dispatch, Impede. ] 1. To hinder; to impede; to prevent. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

These ungracious practices of his sons did impeach his journey to the Holy Land. Sir J. Davies. [ 1913 Webster ]

A defluxion on my throat impeached my utterance. Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To charge with a crime or misdemeanor; to accuse; especially to charge (a public officer), before a competent tribunal, with misbehavior in office; to cite before a tribunal for judgment of official misconduct; to arraign; as, to impeach a judge. See Impeachment. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Hence, to charge with impropriety; to dishonor; to bring discredit on; to call in question; as, to impeach one's motives or conduct. [ 1913 Webster ]

And doth impeach the freedom of the state. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) To challenge or discredit the credibility of, as of a witness, or the validity of, as of commercial paper. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ When used in law with reference to a witness, the term signifies, to discredit, to show or prove unreliable or unworthy of belief; when used in reference to the credit of witness, the term denotes, to impair, to lessen, to disparage, to destroy. The credit of a witness may be impeached by showing that he has made statements out of court contradictory to what he swears at the trial, or by showing that his reputation for veracity is bad, etc.

Syn. -- To accuse; arraign; censure; criminate; indict; impair; disparage; discredit. See Accuse. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Hindrance; impeachment. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. That may be impeached; liable to impeachment; chargeable with a crime. [ 1913 Webster ]

Owners of lands in fee simple are not impeachable for waste. Z. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who impeaches. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. empêchement. ] The act of impeaching, or the state of being impeached; as: (a) Hindrance; impediment; obstruction. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Willing to march on to Calais,
Without impeachment. Shak.

(b) A calling to account; arraignment; especially, of a public officer for maladministration. [ 1913 Webster ]

The consequence of Coriolanus' impeachment had like to have been fatal to their state. Swift.

(c) A calling in question as to purity of motives, rectitude of conduct, credibility, etc.; accusation; reproach; as, an impeachment of motives. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In England, it is the privilege or right of the House of Commons to impeach, and the right of the House of Lords to try and determine impeachments. In the United States, it is the right of the House of Representatives to impeach, and of the Senate to try and determine impeachments. [ 1913 Webster ]

Articles of impeachment. See under Article. --
Impeachment of waste (Law), restraint from, or accountability for, injury; also, a suit for damages for injury. Abbott. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ See Appeach, Impeach. ] To accuse of crime; to inform against. [ Obs. ] Foxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To turn informer; to betray one's accomplice. [ Obs. or Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

If I be ta'en, I'll peach for this. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. peche, peshe, OF. pesche, F. pêche, fr. LL. persia, L. Persicum (sc. malum) a Persian apple, a peach. Cf. Persian, and Parsee. ] 1. (Bot.) A well-known high-flavored juicy fruit, containing one or two seeds in a hard almond-like endocarp or stone. In the wild stock the fruit is hard and inedible. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The tree (Prunus Persica syn. Amygdalus Persica) which bears the peach fruit. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The pale red color of the peach blossom, or the light pinkish yellow of the peach fruit. [ PJC ]

Guinea peach, or
Sierra Leone peach, the large edible berry of the Sarcocephalus esculentus, a rubiaceous climbing shrub of west tropical Africa. --
Palm peach, the fruit of a Venezuelan palm tree (Bactris speciosa). --
Peach color, the pale red color of the peach blossom. --
Peach-tree borer (Zool.), the larva of a clearwing moth (Aegeria exitiosa, or Sannina, exitiosa) of the family Aegeriidae, which is very destructive to peach trees by boring in the wood, usually near the ground; also, the moth itself. See Illust. under Borer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Ceramics) Of the delicate purplish pink color likened to that of peach blooms; -- applied esp. to a Chinese porcelain, small specimens of which bring great prices in the Western countries. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Of the color of a peach blossom. “Peach-colored satin.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who peaches. [ Low ] Foxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The chicken of the peacock. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. 1. A tropical tree Caesalpinia echinata, having a prickly trunk; its heavy red wood yields a red dye and is used for cabinetry.
Syn. -- Caesalpinia echinata. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. The heavy red wood of the Caesalpinia echinata; brazilwood; pernambuco wood. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Resembling a peach or peaches. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) A beautiful American ascidian (Cynthia pyriformis syn. Halocynthia pyriformis) having the size, form, velvety surface, and color of a ripe peach. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not impeachable; not to be called in question; exempt from liability to accusation; free from stain, guilt, or fault; irreproachable; blameless; as, an unimpeachable reputation; unimpeachable testimony. Burke. -- Un`im*peach"a*ble*ness, n. -- Un`im*peach"a*bly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]