Emily Dickinson Lexicon

IM-PEACH', v.t. [Fr. empêcher; Arm. ampeich, ampechein; Port. and Sp. empachar; It. impacciare; to hinder, to stop. It signifies also in Portuguese, to surfeit, to overload, to glut. It belongs to the family of pack; L. pango, pactus; Ar. بَكَّ bakka, to press or compress. Class Bg, No. 18, 20, 61. The literal sense of impeach is to thrust or send against; hence, to hinder, to stop.]

1. To hinder; to impede. This sense is found in our early writers. These ungracious practices of his sons did impeach his journey to the Holy Land. Davies. A defluxion on my throat impeached my utterance. Howell. [This application of the word is obsolete.]
2. To accuse; to charge with a crime or misdemeanor; but appropriately, to exhibit charges of maladministration against a public officer before a competent tribunal, that is, to send or put on, to load. The word is now restricted to accusations made by authority; as, to impeach a judge. [See Impeachment.]
3. To accuse; to censure; to call in question; as, to impeach one's motives or conduct.
4. To call to account; to charge as answerable.