imperial

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
imperial/ɪmˈpɪəriəl/

▶adjective

• 1 relating to an empire or an emperor.

  ■ characteristic of an emperor; magnificent.

• 2 relating to or denoting the system of non-metric weights and measures formerly used for all measures in the UK, and still used for some.

• 3 chiefly historical (of a size of paper) measuring (in the UK) 762 × 559 mm (30 × 22 inches).

▶noun a small pointed beard growing below the lower lip (associated with Napoleon III of France).

– derivatives
imperially adverb.

– origin ME: via OFr. from L. imperialis, from imperium ‘command, empire’; rel. to imperare ‘to command’.