[syn: spell, import]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Import \Im*port"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Imported; p. pr. & vb.
n. Importing.] [L. importare to bring in, to occasion, to
cause; pref. im- in + portare to bear. Sense 3 comes through
F. importer, from the Latin. See Port demeanor.]
1. To bring in from abroad; to introduce from without;
especially, to bring (wares or merchandise) into a place
or country from a foreign country, in the transactions of
commerce; -- opposed to export. We import teas from China,
coffee from Brazil, etc.
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2. To carry or include, as meaning or intention; to imply; to
signify.
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Every petition . . . doth . . . always import a
multitude of speakers together. --Hooker.
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3. To be of importance or consequence to; to have a bearing
on; to concern.
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I have a motion much imports your good. --Shak.
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If I endure it, what imports it you? --Dryden.
Syn: To denote; mean; signify; imply; indicate; betoken;
interest; concern.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Import \Im*port"\, v. i.
To signify; to purport; to be of moment. "For that . . .
importeth to the work." --Bacon.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Import \Im"port\, n.
1. Merchandise imported, or brought into a country from
without its boundaries; -- generally in the plural,
opposed to exports.
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I take the imports from, and not the exports to,
these conquests, as the measure of these advantages
which we derived from them. --Burke.
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2. That which a word, phrase, or document contains as its
signification or intention or interpretation of a word,
action, event, and the like.
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3. Importance; weight; consequence.
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Most serious design, and the great import. --Shak.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
import
n 1: commodities (goods or services) bought from a foreign
country [syn: import, importation] [ant: export,
exportation]
2: an imported person brought from a foreign country; "the lead
role was played by an import from Sweden"; "they are
descendants of indentured importees" [syn: import,
importee]
3: the message that is intended or expressed or signified; "what
is the meaning of this sentence"; "the significance of a red
traffic light"; "the signification of Chinese characters";
"the import of his announcement was ambiguous" [syn:
meaning, significance, signification, import]
4: a meaning that is not expressly stated but can be inferred;
"the significance of his remark became clear only later";
"the expectation was spread both by word and by implication"
[syn: significance, import, implication]
5: having important effects or influence; "decisions of great
consequence are made by the president himself"; "virtue is of
more moment than security"; "that result is of no
consequence" [syn: consequence, import, moment] [ant:
inconsequence]
v 1: bring in from abroad [ant: export]
2: transfer (electronic data) into a database or document [ant:
export]
3: indicate or signify; "I'm afraid this spells trouble!" [syn:
spell, import]
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 January 2023):
import
To read data that is not in the native format of the
application. For example, a web browser will have its own
way of storing bookmarks but it will usually provide a
function to import bookmarks from Internet Explorer. The
alternative is to provide an independent external conversion
utility but this is usually less convenient for the user.
(2004-11-15)