Emily Dickinson Lexicon

MIS-REP-RE-SENT-A'TION, n.

1. The act of giving a false or erroneous representation. Swift.
2. A false or incorrect account given, either from mistake, carelessness or malice. Atterbury.

MIS-REP-RE-SENT'ED, pp.

Falsely or erroneously represented.

MIS-REP-RE-SENT'ER, n.

One who gives a false or erroneous account.

MIS-REP-RE-SENT'ING, ppr.

Giving a false or erroneous representation. Note. This word is so customarily used for an euphemism, or as a softer expression for lie or falsehood, as to convey the idea generally of intentional falsehood. This signification however is not necessarily implied.

MIS-RE-PUTE', v.t.

To have in wrong estimation.

MIS-RE-PUT'ED, pp. [or a.]

Erroneously reputed. Milton.

MIS-RULE', n.

1. Disorder; confusion; tumult from insubordination. Enormous riot and misrule. Pope.
2. Unjust domination.

MIS-RU'LY, a.

Unruly; ungovernable; turbulent. Hall.

MISS, n. [supposed by Bailey to be contracted from mistress. But probably it is from the Armoric mesell, a young lady, or contracted from Fr. demoiselle, Sp. damisola. See Damsel.]

1. The title of a young woman or girl; as, little masters and misses. Swift.
2. A kept mistress; a prostitute retained; a concubine. Dryden.

MISS, n.

1. Loss; want. There will be no great miss of these which are lost. Locke.
2. Mistake; error. He did without any great miss in the hardest points of grammar. [Little used.] Ascham.
3. Harm from mistake. [Obs.] Spenser.

MISS, v.i.

1. To fail to hit; to fly wide; to deviate from the true direction. Flying bullets now, / To execute his rage, appear too slow; / They miss, or sweep but common souls away. Waller.
2. Not to succeed; to fail. Men observe when things hit, and not when they miss. Bacon.
3. To fail; to miscarry, as by accident. The invention all admired, and each, how he / To be the inventor missed. Milton.
4. To fail to obtain, learn or find; with of. On the least reflection, we can not miss of them. Atterbury.
5. To fail; to mistake. Spenser.

MISS, v.t. [Sax. missian; D. and G. missen; Sw. mista; Dan. mister; allied perhaps to L. mitto, misi; omitto, omisi. But this is not certain. The Welsh has the word in methu, to fail, to miss, to become abortive, to miscarry, to decay. See Class Md, No. 8, 12, 13, 14, 16. Hence the prefix mis.]

1. To fail in aim; to fail of reaching the object; not to hit; as, to miss the mark; to miss the object intended.
2. To fail of finding the right way; to err in attempting to find; as, to miss the way or the road.
3. To fail of obtaining. Orgalus feared nothing but to miss Parthenia. Sidney.
4. To learn or discover that something is wanting, or not where it was supposed to be; as, to miss one's snuff-box; I missed the first volume of Livy. Neither missed we any thing. Nothing was missed of all that pertained to him. 1 Sam. xxv.
5. To be without; as, we can not miss him. [Obs.] Shak.
6. To omit; to pass by; to go without; to fail to have; as, to miss a meat of victuals. She would never miss one day / A walk so line, a sight so gay. Prior.
7. To perceive the want of. What by me thou hast lost, thou least shalt miss. Milton. He who has a firm sincere friend, may want all the rest, without missing them. South.
8. To fail of seeing or finding.

MIS-SAID', pp.

Said wrong.

MIS'SAL, n. [It. messale; Fr. missel. See Mass.]

The Romish mass-book. Stillingfleet.

MIS-SAY', v.i.

To speak ill. Spenser.

MIS-SAY', v.t.

To say wrong; to slander. [Little used.] Spenser.

MIS-SAY'ING, n.

Wrong expression. Milton.

MISS'ED, pp.

Failed in aim or in reaching the object.

MIS-SEEM, v.i.

1. To make a false appearance. Spenser
2. To misbecome. [Obs.] Spenser.

MIS'SEL, or MIS'SEL-BIRD, n.

A species of thrush.

MIS'SEL-DINE, n.

The mistletoe. [Not used.] Barret.

MIS-SEM'BLANCE, n.

False resemblance. Spelman.

MIS-SERVE, v.t. [misserv'.]

To serve unfaithfully. Arbuthnot.

MIS-SERV'ED, pp.

Served unfaithfully.

MIS-SHAPE', v.t. [See Shape.]

To shape ill; to give an ill form to; to deform. And horribly misshapes with ugly sights. Spenser. A misshaped figure. Pope. Misshapen mountains. Bentley.