Emily Dickinson Lexicon

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.