Emily Dickinson Lexicon

mistake (-n, mistaking, mistook), v. [ON mistaka, take by mistake.]

1. Misunderstand; be confused; become confounded; get it wrong.
2. Take one thing for another.
3. Show; display; betray; reveal unintentionally; [structural ambiguity: “mistake” as main verb with “fear” as noun object] make the mistake of fearing.
4. Misinterpret; miss the point; overlook the truth.