"Imperial" is a tough descriptor for a British style, at least in America, because here it's usually used to signify something akin to "double": more alcoholic, more hoppy, just generally "more."
'Imperial IPA' in Britain denotes a more traditional style - of course it's not regulated, but the one thing you can be certain of is that it won't be in the 'American IPA' style (you can get British made IPAs sold as 'American IPA', i.e. it is meant as a classifier of style, not orgin).
Traditional IPAs are low in carbonation even among British ales, highly hopped (boiled and dry), and 6-9%.
In short, the way you're saying it's used in America doesn't sound wrong to me!
(I believe dry hopping actually originated with the IPA, and its long voyage from London docks to India.)
Ha! Because what you're expecting and looking for is an 'American IPA' (style not origin). The other half are English or Imperial (there is sometimes a technical and sometimes only marketing distinction to be made between the latter two) IPAs.
Personally, the stuff America 'markets as "IPA" tastes wrong" - citrusy and way over-carbonated!
It's unfortunate that they're made to sound so similar in my opinion, they're pretty different styles. Classic IPAs are much closer to other British bitters than they are to 'American IPA' (or to 'IPA' sold in America).