Emily Dickinson Lexicon

missionary, n. [Fr.]

One sent to propagate an idea to an unbeliever.

missle (-s), n. [L. mittere, to send.]

Destructive projectile; weapon intending to kill or ruin.

missum (mis sum), v. [see sum.]

Miscount; miscalculate; inaccurately add; [Webster 1844] “missumation, a wrongful summation.”

mis sum, v. [see missum.]

mist (-s, -'s), n. [OE.]

1. Cloud of vaporized water.
2. [Fig.] something that hinders judgment or vision.

mistake, n. [Sw. misstag.]

1. Betrayal; deception; beguilement; being wrong about trusting someone; [structural ambiguity: “fear” as main verb with “mistake” as noun object] be afraid of making a mistake.
2. Error; misconception; misreading; misunderstanding; misapprehension; misinterpretation.

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.

mistaken, verbal adj. [see mistake, v.]

Wrong; faulty; erroneous; miscalculated.

mistletoe, n. [OE mistiltan.]

Parasitic plant of Europe [reference to the value the druids help for this plant.]

mistress, n. [OFr maistress < med. L magistressa.]

1. Lady; gentlewoman; female authority; [fig.] guardian; keeper; trainer; teacher; tutor; mentor; protector; [fig.] poetess; female author.
2. Noble woman; female head of a household; [fig.] blossom; head of a flower.