Imprints

/ˈɪmprɪnts/ noun or verb

Definition

Marks, impressions, or prints left on a surface; or the act of stamping something onto a surface.

Etymology

From Old French 'empreinte' (impression) combined with 'print' (from Latin 'premere,' to press), solidified as a compound in English by the 1600s.

Kelly Says

Psychology borrowed this word for 'imprinting'—the idea that young animals bond permanently with the first moving thing they see—which shows how a physical term became metaphorical for deep psychological marks.

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