Emily Dickinson Lexicon

MIS-SPOKE, or MIS-SPOK-EN, pp.

Uttered or spoken amiss.

MIS-STATE', v.t.

To state wrong; to make an erroneous representation of facts; as, to misstate a question in debate. Sanderson.

MIS-STAT'ED, pp.

Stated erroneously.

MIS-STATE'MENT, n.

A wrong statement; an erroneous representation, verbal or written; as, a misstatement of facts in testimony, or of accounts in a report. Hamilton.

MIS-STAT-ING, ppr.

Stating falsely or erroneously.

MIS-STAY'ED, a.

Having missed stays, as a ship.

MIS-SUM-MA'TION, n.

Wrong summation. Scott.

MIS-SWEAR, v.t.

To swear ill. [Obs.] Bacon.

MIS'SY, n.

The sulphate of iron, having lost the water of its crystalization, is called sori; more thoroughly calcined, it is yellow, and called missy. Fourcroy.

MIST, n. [Sax. mist; D. mist; L. mixtus, mistus, from misceo, to mix.]

1. Water falling in very numerous, but fine and almost imperceptible drops. A mist is a multitude of small but solid globules, which therefore descend. Grew.
2. That which dims or darkens, and obscures or intercepts vision. His passion cast a mist before his sense. Dryden.

MIST, v.t.

To cloud; to cover with vapor. Shak.

MIS-TAK'A-BLE, a.

That may be misconceived or mistaken. Brown.

MIS-TAKE, n.

1. An error in opinion or judgment; misconception. Infallibility is an absolute security of the understanding from all possibility of mistake. Tillotsen.
2. A slip; a fault; an error. There is a mistake in the account or in the date.

MIS-TAKE', v.i.

To err in opinion or judgment. Servants mistake, and sometimes occasion misunderstanding among friends. Swift.

MIS-TAKE, v.t.

1. To take wrong; to conceive or understand erroneously; to misunderstand or misapprehend. 'Tis to mistake them costs the time and pain. Pope.
2. To take one thing or person for another. We mistake the eloquence of self-apology for the animation of conscious integrity. Buckminster. A man may mistake the love of virtue for the practice of it. Johnson.

MIS-TAK-EN, pp.

In the use of this participle, there is a peculiarity which ought to be carefully noticed. When used of persons, it signifies to be in an error, to be wrong; as, I am mistaken, you are mistaken, he is mistaken. But when use of things, it signifies misunderstood, misconceived; as, the sense of the passage is mistaken, that is, not rightly understood.

MIS-TA'KEN-LY, adv.

By mistake.

MIS-TAK'ER, n.

One that mistakes or misunderstands.

MIS-TAK-ING, n.

An error; a mistake. Hall.

MIS-TAK'ING, ppr.

Making a mistake; erring from the truth; misconceiving.

MIS-TAK'ING-LY, adv.

Erroneously; falsely. Boyle.

MIS-TAUGHT', pp.

Wrongly taught; as, a mistaught youth. L'Estrange.

MIS-TEACH, v.t. [See Teach.]

To teach wrong; to instruct erroneously. Sanderson.

MIS-TEACH-ING, ppr.

Instructing erroneously.

MIS-TELL', v.t. [See Tell.]

To tell erroneously.