‖pl. [ L. imperfecti imperfect. ] (Bot.) A heterogenous phylum of fungi which lack a sexual phase, or of which the sexual phase is not known. Some undoubtedly represent the conidium stages of various Ascomycetes. It is not considered a natural phylum, and is also called the Deuteromycota. The group is divided into the orders Sphæropsidales, Melanconiales, and Moniliales. It includes the genera Penicillium and Aspergillus, which reproduce asexually by means of conidia. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

a. [ L. imperfectus: pref. im- not + perfectus perfect: cf. F imparfait, whence OE. imparfit. See Perfect. ] 1. Not perfect; not complete in all its parts; wanting a part; deective; deficient. [ 1913 Webster ]

Something he left imperfect in the state. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Why, then, your other senses grow imperfect. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Wanting in some elementary organ that is essential to successful or normal activity. [ 1913 Webster ]

He . . . stammered like a child, or an amazed, imperfect person. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Not fulfilling its design; not realizing an ideal; not conformed to a standard or rule; not satisfying the taste or conscience; esthetically or morally defective. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nothing imperfect or deficient left
Of all that he created. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Then say not man's imperfect, Heaven in fault;
Say rather, man's as perfect as he ought. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Imperfect arch, an arch of less than a semicircle; a skew arch. --
Imperfect cadence (Mus.), one not ending with the tonic, but with the dominant or some other chord; one not giving complete rest; a half close. --
Imperfect consonances (Mus.), chords like the third and sixth, whose ratios are less simple than those of the fifth and forth. --
Imperfect flower (Bot.), a flower wanting either stamens or pistils. Gray. --
Imperfect interval (Mus.), one a semitone less than perfect; as, an imperfect fifth. --
Imperfect number (Math.), a number either greater or less than the sum of its several divisors; in the former case, it is called also a defective number; in the latter, an abundant number. --
Imperfect obligations (Law), obligations as of charity or gratitude, which cannot be enforced by law. --
Imperfect power (Math.), a number which can not be produced by taking any whole number or vulgar fraction, as a factor, the number of times indicated by the power; thus, 9 is a perfect square, but an imperfect cube. --
Imperfect tense (Gram.), a tense expressing past time and incomplete action. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Gram.) The imperfect tense; or the form of a verb denoting the imperfect tense. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To make imperfect. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being imperfectible. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Incapable of being made perfect. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. imperfectio: cf. F. imperfection. See Imperfect, a. ] The quality or condition of being imperfect; lack of perfection; incompleteness; deficiency; fault or blemish. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sent to my account
With all my imperfections on my head. Shak.

Syn. -- Defect; deficiency; incompleteness; fault; failing; weakness; frailty; foible; blemish; vice. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being imperfect. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. correct to the last detail; especially being in or following the exact words; as, a letter-perfect rendition of the soliloquy.
Syn. -- word-perfect. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Perfected; p. pr. & vb. n. Perfecting. ] [ L. perfectus, p. p. of perficere. See Perfect, a. ] To make perfect; to finish or complete, so as to leave nothing wanting; to give to anything all that is requisite to its nature and kind. [ 1913 Webster ]

God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfect in us. 1 John iv. 12. [ 1913 Webster ]

Inquire into the nature and properties of the things, . . . and thereby perfect our ideas of their distinct species. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

Perfecting press (Print.), a press in which the printing on both sides of the paper is completed in one passage through the machine. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To finish; accomplish; complete; consummate. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OE. parfit, OF. parfit, parfet, parfait, F. parfait, L. perfectus, p. p. of perficere to carry to the end, to perform, finish, perfect; per (see Per-) + facere to make, do. See Fact. ] 1. Brought to consummation or completeness; completed; not defective nor redundant; having all the properties or qualities requisite to its nature and kind; without flaw, fault, or blemish; without error; mature; whole; pure; sound; right; correct. [ 1913 Webster ]

My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cor. xii. 9. [ 1913 Webster ]

Three glorious suns, each one a perfect sun. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

I fear I am not in my perfect mind. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

O most entire perfect sacrifice! Keble. [ 1913 Webster ]

God made thee perfect, not immutable. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Well informed; certain; sure. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am perfect that the Pannonians are now in arms. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Bot.) Hermaphrodite; having both stamens and pistils; -- said of a flower. [ 1913 Webster ]

Perfect cadence (Mus.), a complete and satisfactory close in the harmony, as upon the tonic preceded by the dominant. --
Perfect chord (Mus.), a concord or union of sounds which is perfectly coalescent and agreeable to the ear, as the unison, octave, fifth, and fourth; a perfect consonance; a common chord in its original position of keynote, third, fifth, and octave. --
Perfect number (Arith.), a number equal to the sum of all its divisors; as, 28, whose aliquot parts, or divisors, are 14, 7, 4, 2, 1. See Abundant number, under Abundant. Brande & C. --
Perfect tense (Gram.), a tense which expresses an act or state completed; also called the perfective tense. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Finished; consummate; complete; entire; faultless; blameless; unblemished. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The perfect tense, or a form in that tense. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The capability of becoming perfect; as, he believes in the ultimate perfectability of man; -- usually spelled perfectibility. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. Brought into final form; completely formed; -- of plans, ideas, etc. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. Refined to a state of excellence; -- of e.g. skills or the products of skills.
Syn. -- finished. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. One who, or that which, makes perfect. “The . . . perfecter of our faith.” Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A perfectionist. [ R. ] Ed. Rev. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A perfectionist. See also Illuminati, 2. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. perfectibilité. ] The quality or state of being perfectible. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. perfectible. ] Capable of becoming, or being made, perfect. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. perfection, L. perfectio. ] 1. The quality or state of being perfect or complete, so that nothing requisite is wanting; entire development; consummate culture, skill, or moral excellence; the highest attainable state or degree of excellence; maturity; as, perfection in an art, in a science, or in a system; perfection in form or degree; fruits in perfection. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A quality, endowment, or acquirement completely excellent; an ideal faultlessness; especially, the divine attribute of complete excellence. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

What tongue can her perfections tell? Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

To perfection, in the highest degree of excellence; perfectly; as, to imitate a model to perfection. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To perfect. [ Obs. ] Foote. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to perfection; characterized by perfection. [ R. ] Bp. Pearson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To perfect. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The doctrine of the Perfectionists. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A personal attitude which demands perfection in the results of actions. [ PJC ]

n. 1. One pretending to perfection; esp., one pretending to moral perfection; one who believes that persons may and do attain to moral perfection and sinlessness in this life. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A person who insists on perfect results from himself or from others, in any endeavor. [ PJC ]

n. [ Cf. F. perfectionnement. ] The act of bringing to perfection, or the state of having attained to perfection. [ R. ] I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Tending or conducing to make perfect, or to bring to perfection; -- usually followed by of. “A perfective alteration.” Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

Actions perfective of their natures. Ray. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) Denoting an aspect of verbs which indicates completion of an action, and is sometimes explicitly marked in verbal inflection, as in the Russian language; as, the perfective form of a verb. The use of a perfective form rather than the simple past indicates reference to a completed event, rather than to a process that took place in the past. [ PJC ]

n. 1. (Gram.) The perfective case or aspect. [ PJC ]

2. (Gram.) A verb in the perfective case or aspect. [ PJC ]

adv. In a perfective manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a perfect manner or degree; in or to perfection; completely; wholly; thoroughly; faultlessly. “Perfectly divine.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

As many as touched were made perfectly whole. Matt. xiv. 36. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being perfect; perfection. “Charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” Col. iii. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. plus more + perfectus perfect; cf. F. plus-que-parfait, L. plusquamperfectum. ] More than perfect; past perfect; -- said of the tense which denotes that an action or event was completed at or before the time of another past action or event. -- n. The pluperfect tense; also, a verb in the pluperfect tense. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. [ Pref. preter- + imperfect. ] (Gram.) Old name of the tense also called imperfect. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. [ Pref. preter- + perfect. ] (Gram.) Old name of the tense also called preterit. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. [ Pref. preter- + pluperfect. ] (Gram.) Old name of the tense also called pluperfect. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ 1st pref. un- + perfect. ] To mar or destroy the perfection of. [ Obs. ] Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. un- + perfect. ] Imperfect. [ Obs. ] Holland. -- Un*per"fect*ly, adv. [Obs.] Hales. -- Un*per"fect*ness, n. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Want of perfection; imperfection. [ Obs. ] Wyclif. [ 1913 Webster ]