Impeach

(im-peech′), v. t. [imp. & p. p. IM-PEACHED (im-pēcht′); p. pr. & vb. n. IMPEACHING.] [O. Fr. empeescher, empescher, N. Fr. empêcher, to prevent, hinder, bar, Pr. empachar, empaitar, Sp. & Pg. empachar, It. impacciare, verb frequentative from Lat. impingere, impactum, to thrust or drive against, hence, to hinder, to stop. Cf. APPEACH, DISPATCH, and IMPACT.] 1. To hinder; to impede. [Obs.] These ungracious practices of his sons did impeach his journey to the Holy Land. Daries. A defluxion on my throat impeached my utterance. Howell.

2. To charge with a crime or misdemeanor; to accuse; especially, to charge, as an officer, with misbehavior in office; to cite before a tribunal for judgment of official misconduct; as, to impeach a judge. See IMPEACHMENT.
3. Hence, to charge with impropriety; to call in question; as, to impeach one's motives or conduct.

☞ When used in law with reference to a witness, the term signifies to discredit, to show or prove unreliable or unworthy of belief; when used in reference to the credit of a witness, the term denotes, to impair, to lessen, to disparage, to destroy. The credit of a witness may be impeached by showing that he has made statements out of court contradictory to what he swears at the trial, or by showing that his reputation for veracity is bad, &c. Syn.—To accuse; arraign; censure; criminate; indict. See ACCUSE.