im·press¹ • v. / imˈpres/ [tr.] 1. make (someone) feel admiration and respect: they immediately impressed the judges | [intr.] he has to put on an act to impress. 2. make a mark or design on (an object) using a stamp or seal; imprint: she impressed the damp clay with her seal. ∎  apply (a mark) to something with pressure: a revenue stamp was embossed or impressed on the instrument. ∎  (impress something on) fig. fix an idea in (someone's mind): nobody impressed on me the need to save.3. apply (an electric current or potential) from an external source.• n. / ˈimˌpres/ [in sing.] an act of making an impression or mark: bluish marks made by the impress of his fingers. ∎  a mark made by a seal or stamp. ∎ fig. the characteristic mark or quality of a person or attribute: his desire to put his own impress on the films he made.DERIVATIVES: im·press·i·ble adj.im·press² • v. [tr.] hist. force (someone) to serve in an army or navy: a number of Poles, impressed into the German army. ∎  commandeer (goods or equipment) for public service.DERIVATIVES: im·press·ment n.

impress1 stamp, imprint (a mark, etc.), lit. and fig. XIV (also en-); mark with a stamp XVI; affect strongly XVIII. — OF. em-, impresser, f. EM-1, IM-1 + presser PRESS1 (cf. L. imprimere).
Hence sb. stamp, mark. XVI. So impression effective action, effect XIV; mark produced by pressure XIV; printing XVI; notion impressed on the mind XVII. — (O)F. — L. impressiō, -ōn- onset, attack, emphasis, mental impression, f. impress-, pp. stem of imprimere, f. IM-1 + premere PRESS1. impressionable XIX. — F. impressionist XIX. — F. impressionniste, used in an unfavourable sense with ref. to a picture by Claude Monet entitled Impression. impressive †susceptible XVI; making a deep impression XVIII.

impress2 levy, enlist, esp. by force. XVI. f. IM-1 + PRESS2.
Hence sb. XVII.