Imperfect \Im*per"fect\, 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.
Something he left imperfect in the state. --Shak.
Why, then, your other senses grow imperfect. --Shak.
2. Wanting in some elementary organ that is essential to
successful or normal activity.
He . . . stammered like a child, or an amazed,
imperfect person. --Jer. Taylor.
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.
Nothing imperfect or deficient left Of all that he
created. --Milton.
Then say not man's imperfect, Heaven in fault; Say
rather, man's as perfect as he ought. --Pope.
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.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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