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Origin and history of impact

impact(v.)

c. 1600, "press closely into something," from Latin impactus, past participle of impingere "to push into, drive into, strike against," from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + pangere "to fix, fasten" (from PIE root *pag- "to fasten"). Original sense is preserved in impacted teeth. Sense of "strike forcefully against something" first recorded 1916. Figurative sense of "have a forceful effect on" is from 1935. Related: Impacting.

impact(n.)

1738, "collision, act of striking against, striking of one thing against another," from impact (v.). Figurative sense of "forceful impression" is from 1817 (Coleridge).

also from 1738

Entries linking to impact

impacted(adj.)

1680s, "pressed closely in," past-participle adjective from impact (v.). Of teeth from 1859.

impactful(adj.)

1959, in psychotherapy, from impact (n.) + -ful. Related: Impactfully; impactfulness.

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affect
late 14c., "mental state," from Latin affectus "disposition, mood, state of mind or body produced by some external influence," noun use of adjective affectus "disposed, constituted, inclined," literally "furnished, supplied, endowed," past participle of afficere "to do; treat, us
touch
late 13c., "make deliberate physical contact with," from Old French tochier "to touch, hit, knock; mention, deal with" (11c., Modern French toucher), from Vulgar Latin *toccare "to knock, strike" as a bell (source also of Spanish tocar, Italian toccare), perhaps of imitative orig
wallop
late 14c., "to gallop," possibly from Old North French *waloper (13c., Old French galoper), from Frankish compound *walalaupan "to run well" (compare Old High German wela "well," see well (adv.); and Old Low Franconian loupon "to run, leap," from Proto-Germanic *hlaupan; see leap
buffer
The figurative sense of "anything that prevents impact or neutralizes the shock of impact of opposing forces" is from 1858...
turbine
1838, "waterwheel driven by the impact or reaction of a flowing stream of water," from French turbine (19c.), from Latin...
concussion
From late 15c. as "act of shaking or agitation," especially by impact of another body; from 1540s as "brain injury caused...
glance
mid-15c., of weapons, "strike obliquely without giving full impact," a nasalized form of glacen "to graze, strike a glancing...
influence
late 14c., an astrological term, "streaming ethereal power from the stars when in certain positions, acting upon character or destiny of men," from Old French influence "emanation from the stars that acts upon one's character and destiny" (13c.), also "a flow of water, a flowing
fight
Old English feohtan "to combat, contend with weapons, strive; attack; gain by fighting, win" (intransitive; class III strong verb; past tense feaht, past participle fohten), from Proto-Germanic *fe(u)hta (source also of Old High German fehtan, German fechten, Middle Dutch and Dut
put-out
"offended, angry, upset," by 1887, from the verbal phrase in the sense of "offend," attested by 1822; see put (v.) + out (adv.). Perhaps via the earlier sense of "cause to lose self-possession, disconcert" (1580s). The verbal phrase is from mid-14c. as "drive out, banish, exile;"

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