MIAS'MA, n. [Gr. to pollute.] Infecting substances floating in the air; the effluvia or fine particles of any putrefying bodies, rising and floating in the atmosphere, and considered to be noxious to health.

MIASMAT'IC, adjective Pertaining to miasma; partaking of the qualities of noxious effluvia.

MI'CA, noun [Latin mica a grain or particle; mico, to shine.] A mineral of a foliated structure, consisting of thin flexible lamels or scales, having a shining surface. The scales are sometimes parallel, sometimes interwoven, sometimes wavy or undulated, sometimes representing filaments. It is called also talck, glimmer, muscovy-glass, and glist.

Jameson subdivides mica into ten subspecies, viz. mica pinite, lepidolite, chlorite, green earth, talck, nacrite, potstone, steatite and figure stone.

MICA'CEOUS, adjective Pertaining to mica; resembling mica or partaking of its properties.

MIC'AREL, noun A species of argillaceous earth; a mineral of a brownish or blackish red color, commonly crystallized in rhomboidal prisms, or in prisms of six sides.

MICE, plural of mouse.

MI'CHAELITE, noun A subvariety of siliceous sinter, found in the isle of St. Michael.

MICH'AELMAS, noun The feast of St. Michael, a festival of the Romish church, celebrated Sept.29; hence,

1. In colloquial language, autumn.

MICHE, verb intransitive

1. To lie hid; to skulk; to retire or shrink from view.

2. To pilfer.

MICH'ER, noun One who skulks, or creeps out of sight; a thief.

MICH'ERY, noun Theft, cheating.

MICH'ING, participle present tense Retiring; skulking; creeping from sight; mean; cowardly. [Vulgar.]

MICK'LE, adjective Much; great. [Obsolete, but retained in the Scottish language.]

MI'CO, noun A beautiful species of monkey.

MIC'ROCOSM, noun [Gr. small, and world.] Literally, the little world; but used for man, supposed to be an epitome of the universe or great world.

Microcosmic salt, a triple salt of soda, ammonia and phosphoric acid, obtained from urine.

MICROCOS'MICAL, adjective Pertaining to the microcosm.

MICROCOUS'TIC, noun [Gr. small, and to hear.] An instrument to augment small sounds, and assist in hearing.

MICROG'RAPHY, noun [Gr. small, and to describe.] The description of objects too small to be discerned without the aid of a microscope.

MICROM'ETER, noun [Gr. small, and measure.] An instrument for measuring small objects or spaces, by the help of which, the apparent magnitude of objects viewed through the microscope or telescope, is measured with great exactness.

MIC'ROPHONE, noun [Gr. small, and sound.] An instrument to augment small sounds; a microcoustic.

MIC'ROSCOPE, noun [Gr. small, and to view.] An optical instrument consisting of lenses or mirrors, which magnify objects, and thus render visible minute objects which cannot be seen by the naked eye, or enlarge the apparent magnitude of small visible bodies, so as to enable us to examine their texture or construction.

MICROSCOP'IC

MICROSCOP'ICAL, adjective Made by the aid of a microscope; as microscopic observation.

1. Assisted by a microscope.

Evading even the microscopic eye.

2. Resembling a microscope; capable of seeing small objects.

Why has not man a microscopic eye?

3. Very small; visible only by the aid of a microscope; as a microscopic insect.

MICROSCOP'ICAL, a. Made by the aid of a microscope; as microscopic observation.

MICROSCOP'ICALLY, adverb By the microscope; with minute inspection.

MICTURI'TION, noun [Latin micturio.] The act of making water, or passing the urine.

MID, adjective [Latin medius.]

1. Middle; at equal distance from extremes; as the mid hour of night.

2. Intervening.

No more the mounting larks, while Daphne sings,

Shall, lifting in mid air, suspend their wings.

MI'DA, noun [Gr.] A worm, or the beanfly.

MID'-AGE, noun The middle of life, or persons of that age.

MID'DEST, adjective superlative of mid.

Among the middest crowd. [Not used.]

MIDDLE, adjective mid'l. [Latin medius.]

1. Equally distant from the extremes; as the middle point of a line or circle; the middle station of life. The middle path or course is most safe.

2. Intermediate; intervening.

Will, seeking good, finds many middle ends.

MIDDLE ages, the ages or period of time about equally distant from the decline of the Roman empire and the revival of letters in Europe, or from the eighth to the fifteenth century of the christian era.

MID'DLE, noun The point or part equally distant from the extremities.

See, there come people down by the middle of the land. Judges 9:37.

1. The time that passes, or events that happen between the beginning and the end.

MID'DLEMOST, adjective Being in the middle, or nearest the middle of a number of things that are near the middle. If a thing is in the middle, it cannot be more so, and in this sense the word is improper. But when two or more things are near the middle, one may be nearer than another.

MID'DLING, adjective Of middle rank, state, size or quality; about equally distant from the extremes; moderate. Thus we speak of people of the middling class or sort, neither high nor low; of a man of middling capacity or understanding; a man of middling size; fruit of a middling quality.

MIDGE, noun A gnat or flea. [Not used.]

MID'-HEAVEN, noun The middle of the sky or heaven.

MID'LAND, adjective Being in the interior country; distant from the coast or sea shore; as midland towns or inhabitants.

1. Surrounded by the sea; mediterranean.

And on the midland sea the French had aw'd.

MID'LEG, noun Middle of the leg.

MID'MOST, adjective Middle; as the midmost battles.

MID'NIGHT, noun The middle of the night; twelve o'clock at night.

MID'NIGHT, adjective Being in the middle of the night; as midnight studies.

1. Dark as midnight; very dark; as midnight gloom.

MID'RIFF, noun In anatomy, the diaphragm; the muscle which divides the trunk into two cavities, the thorax and abdomen.

MID'SEA, noun The Mediterranean sea.

MID'SHIP, adjective Being or belonging to the middle of a ship; as a midship beam.

MID'SHIPMAN, noun In ships of war, a kind of naval cadet, whose business is to second the orders of the superior officers and assist in the necessary business of the ship, particularly in managing the sails, that he may be trained to a knowledge of the machinery, discipline and operations of ships of war, and qualified for naval service.

MID'SHIPS, adverb In the middle of a ship; properly amidships.

MIDST, noun [contracted from middest, the superlative of mid.]

The middle.

There is nothing said or done in the midst of the play, which might not have been placed in the beginning.

The phrase, in the midst often signifies involved in, surrounded or overwhelmed by, or in the thickest part, or in the depths of; as in the midst of afflictions, troubles or cares; in the midst of our contemplations; in the midst of the battle; in the midst of pagan darkness and error; in the midst of gospel light; in the midst of the ocean; in the midst of civil dissensions.

From the midst from the middle, or from among. Deuteronomy 18:15.

MIDST, adverb In the middle.

On earth, join all ye creatures to extol

Him first, Him last, Him midst and without end.

MID'STREAM, noun The middle of the stream.

MID'SUMMER, noun The middle of summer; the summer solstice, about the 21st of June.

MID'WARD, adverb Midst. [Not in use.]

MID'WAY, noun The middle of the way or distance.

Paths indirect, or in the midway faint.

MID'WAY, adjective Being in the middle of the way or distance; as the midway air.

MID'WAY, adverb In the middle of the way or distance; half way.

She met his glance midway

MID'WIFE, noun [supposed by Junius and Skinner to be meedwife, a woman that has a reward. This is probably a mistake. The word is a compound of mid, with, and wif, a woman; in analogy with the Latin obstetrix, from obsto, obstiti, to stand before. Latin cum, with, and madre, mother, which is precisely analogous to midwife ]

A woman that assists other women in childbirth.

MID'WIFE, verb intransitive To perform the office of midwife

MID'WIFE, verb transitive To assist in childbirth.

MID'WIFERY, noun The art or practice of assisting women in childbirth; obstetrics.

1. Assistance at childbirth.

2. Help or cooperation in production.

MID'-WINTER, noun The middle of winter, or the winter solstice, December 21. As the severity of winter in North America falls in January and February, the word ordinarily denotes this period, or some weeks after the winter solstice.

MI'EMITE, noun Granular miemite is a sub-variety of magnesian limestone, first found at Miemo, in Tuscany. It occurs massive, or crystallized in flat, double, three-sided pyramids. Its color is light green or greenish white.

MIEN, noun Look; air; manner; external appearance; carriage; as a lofty mien; a majestic mien

MIF'FED, adjective Slightly offended.

MI'GHTILY, adverb [from mighty.] With great power, force of strength; vigorously; as, to strive mightily

1. Vehemently; with great earnestness.

Cry mightily to God. Jonah 3:8.

2. Powerfully; with great energy.

Whereto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily Colossians 1:29.

3. With great strength of argument.

He mightily convinced the Jews. Acts 18:28.

4. With great or irresistible force; greatly; extensively.

So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. Acts 19:20.

5. With strong means of defense.

Fortify the power mightily Nahum 2.

6. Greatly; to a great degree; very much.

I was mightily pleased with a story applicable to this piece of philosophy.

[Admissible in colloquial and familiar language.]

MI'GHTINESS, noun Power; greatness; highth of dignity.

How soon this mightiness meets misery!

1. A title of dignity; as their High Mightinesses.

MI'GHTY, adjective Having great bodily strength or physical power; very strong or vigorous; as a mighty arm.

1. Very strong; valiant; bold; as a mighty man of valor. Judges 6:12.

2. Very powerful; having great command.

Cush begat Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. Genesis 10:8.

3. Very strong in numbers; as a mighty nation. Genesis 18:18.

4. Very strong or great in corporeal power; very able.

Wo to them that are mighty to drink wine. Isaiah 5:15.

5. Violent; very loud; as mighty thunderings. Exodus 9:28. Psalms 68:33.

6. Vehement; rushing with violence; as a mighty wind or tempest. Exodus 10:19. Revelation 6:13.

7. Very great; vast; as mighty waters. Nehemiah 9:11.

8. Very great or strong; as mighty power. 2 Chronicles 26:12.

9. Very forcible; efficacious; as, great is truth and mighty

10. Very great or eminent in intellect or acquirements; as the mighty Scaliger and Selden.

11. Great; wonderful; performed with great power; as mighty works. Matthew 11:20.

12. Very severe and distressing; as a mighty famine. Luke 15:14.

13. Very great, large or populous; as a mighty city. Revelation 18:10.

14. Important; momentous.

I'll sing of heroes and of kings,

In mighty numbers mighty things.

MI'GHTY, adverb In a great degree; very; as might wise; mighty thoughtful. [Colloquial.]

MI'GRATE, verb intransitive [Latin migro.] To pass or remove from one country or from one state to another, with a view to permanent residence, or residence of some continuance. The first settlers of New England migrated first to Holland, and afterwards to America. Some species of fowls migrate in autumn to a warmer climate for a temporary residence. To change residence in the same city or state is not to migrate

1. To pass or remove from one region or district to another for a temporary residence; as, the Tartars migrate for the sake of finding pasturage.

MI'GRATING, participle present tense Removing from one state to another for a permanent residence. The people of the eastern states are continually migrating to the western states.

MI'GRATORY, adjective Removing or accustomed to remove from one state or country to another for permanent residence.

1. Roving; wandering; occasionally removing for pasturage; as the migratory Tartars.

2. Passing from one climate to another; as fowls.

MILCH, adjective Giving milk; as a milch cow. It is now applied only to beasts.

MILD, adjective [The primary sense is soft or smooth, Latin mollis, Eng. mellow.]

1. Soft; gently and pleasantly affecting the senses; not violent; as a mild air; a mild sun; a mild temperature; a mild light.

The rosy morn resigns her light

And milder glory to the noon.

And with a milder gleam refreshed the sight.

2. Not acrid, pungent, corrosive or drastic; operating gently; not acrimonious; demulcent; mollifying; lenitive; assuasive; as a mild liquor; a mild cataplasm; a mild cathartic or emetic.

3. Tender and gentle in temper or disposition; kind; compassionate; merciful; clement; indulgent; not severe or cruel.

It teaches us to adore him as a mild and merciful Being.

4. Not fierce, rough or angry; as mild words.

5. Placid; not fierce; not stern; not frowning; as a mild look or aspect.

6. Not sharp, tart, sour or bitter; moderately sweet or pleasant to the taste; as mild fruit.

7. Calm; tranquil. When passion subsides the temper becomes mild

8. Moderate; not violent or intense; as a mild heat.

MILDLY, adverb Softly; gently; tenderly; not roughly or violently; moderately; as, to speak mildly; to burn mildly; to operate mildly

MILDNESS, noun Softness; gentleness; as the mildness of words or speech; mildness of voice.

1. Tenderness; mercy; clemency; as mildness of temper.

2. Gentleness of operation; as the mildness of a medicine.

3. Softness; the quality that affects the senses pleasantly; as the mildness of fruit or of liquors.

4. Temperateness; moderate state; as the mildness of weather.

MILE, noun [Latin mille passus, a thousand paces; passus being dropped in common usage.] A measure of length or distance, containing eight furlongs, 320 rods, poles or perches, 1760 yards, 5280 feet, or 80 chains. The Roman mile was a thousand paces, equal to 1600 yards English measure.

MI'LEAGE, noun Fees paid for travel by the mile.

MI'LESTONE, noun A stone set to mark the distance or space of a mile.

MILICE, for militia, is not in use.

MIL'IOLITE, noun Fossil remains of the Miliola, a genus of univalve shells.

MIL'ITANCY, noun Warfare. [Little used.]

MIL'ITANT, adjective [Latin militans, milito, to fight.]

1. Fighting; combating; serving as a soldier.

2. The church militant is the christian church on earth, which is supposed to be engaged in a constant warfare against its enemies; thus distinguished from the church triumphant, or in heaven.

MIL'ITARILY, adverb In a soldierly manner.

MIL'ITARY, adjective [Latin militaris, from miles, a soldier; milito, to fight.]

1. Pertaining to soldiers or to arms; as a military parade or appearance; military discipline.

2. Engaged in the service of soldiers or arms; as a military man.

3. Warlike; becoming a soldier; as military virtue; military bravery.

4. Derived from the services or exploits of a soldier; as military renown.

5. Conformable to the customs or rules of armies or militia. The conduct of the officer was not military

6. Performed or made by soldiers; as a military election.

Military tenure, a tenure of land, on condition of performing military service.

MIL'ITARY, noun The whole body of soldiers; soldiery; militia; an army.

MIL'ITATE, verb intransitive [Latin milito.] To militate against, is to oppose; to be or to act in opposition.

Paley writes, to militate with; but in America, against is generally used.

MILI'TIA, noun [Latin from miles, a soldier; Gr. war, to fight, combat, contention. The primary sense of fighting is to strive, struggle, drive, or to strike, to beat, Eng. moil, Latin molior; Heb. to labor or toil.] The body of soldiers in a state enrolled for discipline, but not engaged in actual service except in emergencies; as distinguished from regular troops, whose sole occupation is war or military service. The militia of a country are the able bodied men organized into companies, regiments and brigades, with officers of all grades, and required by law to attend military exercises on certain days only, but at other times left to pursue their usual occupations.

MILK, noun

1. A white fluid or liquor, secreted by certain glands in female animals, and drawn from the breasts for the nourishment of their young.

2. The white juice of certain plants.

3. Emulsion made by bruising seeds.

MILK, verb transitive [Latin mulgeo.]

1. To draw or press milk from the breasts by the hand, as, to milk a cow.

2. To suck. [Not used.]

MILK'EN, adjective Consisting of milk. [Not used.]

MILK'ER, noun One that milks.

MILK'-FEVER, noun A fever which accompanies the first flowing of milk in females after childbirth.

MILK'-HEDGE, noun A shrub growing on the Coromandel coast, containing a milky juice.

MILK'INESS, noun Qualities like those of milk; softness.

MILK'-LIVERED, adjective Cowardly; timorous.

MILK'MAID, noun A woman that milks or is employed in the dairy.

MILK'MAN, noun A man that sells milk or carries milk to market.

MILK'PAIL, noun A pail which receives the milk drawn from cows.

MILK'PAN, noun A pan in which milk is set.

MILK'PORRIDGE

MILK'POTTAGE, noun A species of food composed of milk or milk and water, boiled with meal or flour.

MILK'POTTAGE, n. A species of food composed of milk or milk and water, boiled with meal or flour.

MILK'SCORE, noun An account of milk sold or purchased in small quantities, scored or marked.

MILK'SOP, noun A soft, effeminate, feeble-minded man.

MILK'-THISTLE, noun A plant of the genus Carduus.

MILK'TOOTH, noun The fore tooth of a foal, which is cast within two or three years.

MILK'WHITE, adjective White as milk.

MILK'WOMAN, noun A woman that sells milk.

MILK'Y, adjective Made of milk.

1. Resembling milk; as milky sap or juice.

2. Yielding milk; as milky mothers.

3. Soft; mild; gentle; timorous; as a milky heart.

MILL, noun [Latin mille, a thousand.] A money of account of the United States, value the tenth of a cent, or the thousandth of a dollar.

MILL, noun [Latin mola, molo, mel, honey, mollis; Eng. mellow, mild, mold, meal.

1. A complicated engine or machine for grinding and reducing to fine particles, grain, fruit or other substance, or for performing other operations by means of wheels and a circular motion; as a grist-mill for grain; a coffee-mill; a cider-mill; a bark-mill. The original purpose of mills was to comminute grain for food, but the word mill is now extended to engines or machines moved by water, wind or steam, for carrying on many other operations. We have oil-mills, saw-mills, slitting-mills, bark-mills, fulling-mills, etc.

2. The house or building that contains the machinery for grinding, etc.

MILL, verb transitive To grind; to comminute; to reduce to fine particles or to small pieces.

1. To beat up chocolate.

2. To stamp coin.

3. To full, as cloth.

MILL'COG, n. The cog of a mill wheel.

MILL'DAM, noun A dam or mound to obstruct a water course, and raise the water to an altitude sufficient to turn a mill wheel.

MILLENA'RIAN, adjective Consisting of a thousand years; pertaining to the millenium.

MILLENA'RIAN, noun A chiliast; one who believes in the millenium, and that Christ will reign on earth with his saints a thousand years before the end of the world.

MIL'LENARY, adjective Consisting of a thousand.

MILLEN'IAL, adjective Pertaining to the millenium, or to a thousand years; as millenial period; millenial happiness.

MIL'LENIST, noun One who holds to the millenium. [Not used.]

MILLEN'IUM, noun [Latin mille, a thousand, and annus, year.]

A thousand years; a word used to denote the thousand years mentioned in Revelations 20. during which period Satan shall be bound and restrained from seducing men to sin, and Christ shall reign on earth with his saints.

MIL'LEPED, noun [Latin mille, a thousand, and pes, foot.] The wood-louse, an insect having many feet, a species of Oniscus.

MIL'LEPORE, noun [Latin mille, a thousand, and porus, a pore.]

A genus of lithophytes or polypiers of various forms, which have the surface perforated with little holes or pores, or even without any apparent perforation.

MIL'LEPORITE, noun Fossil millepores.

MIL'LER, noun [from mill.] One whose occupation is to attend a grist-mill.

1. An insect whose wings appear as if covered with white dust or powder, like a miller's clothes.

MILLES'IMAL, adjective [Latin millesimus, from mille, a thousand.]

Thousandth; consisting of thousandth parts; as millesimal fractions.

MIL'LET, noun [Latin milium.] A plant of the genus Milium, of several species, one of which is cultivated as an esculent grain.

The Indian millet is of the genus Holcus.

MILL'HORSE, noun A horse that turns a mill.

MIL'LIARY, adjective [Latin milliarium, a milestone.]

Pertaining to a mile; denoting a mile; as a milliary column.

MIL'LIGRAM, noun [Latin mille, a thousand, and Gr. a gram.]

In the system of French weights and measures, the thousandth part of a gram, equal to a cubic millimeter of water.

The milligram is equal to .0154 English grains.

MIL'LILITER, noun [Latin mille, a thousand, and liter.]

A French measure of capacity containing the thousandth part of a liter or cubic decimeter, equal to .06103 decimals of a cubic inch.

MILLIM'ETER, noun [Latin mille, a thousand, and metrum, a measure.]

A French lineal measure containing the thousandth part of a meter; equal to .03937 decimals of an inch. It is the least measure of length.

MIL'LINER, noun [Johnson supposes this word to be Milaner, form Milan, in Italy.] A woman who makes and sells head-dresses, hats or bonnets, etc. for females.

MIL'LINERY, noun The articles made or sold by milliners, as head-dresses, hats or bonnets, laces, ribbons and the like.

MILLION, noun mil'yun. [Latin mille, a thousand.]

1. The number of ten hundred thousand, or a thousand thousand. It is used as a noun or an adjective; as a million of men, or a million men. As a noun, it has a regular plural, millions.

2. In common usage, a very great number, indefinitely.

There are millions of truths that men are not concerned to know.

MILL'IONARY, adjective Pertaining to millions; consisting of millions; as the millionary chronology of the Pundits.

MILL'IONED, adjective Multiplied by millions. [Not used.]

MILL'IONTH, adjective The ten hundred thousandth.

MILL'POND, noun A pond or reservoir of water raised for driving a mill wheel.

MILL'RACE, noun The current of water that drives a mill wheel, or the canal in which it is conveyed.

MILL'-SIXPENCE, noun An old English coin first milled in 1561.

MILLRE'A

MILLREE', noun A coin of Portugal of the value of $1.24 cents.

MILLREE', n. A coin of Portugal of the value of $1.24 cents.

MILL'STONE, noun A stone used for grinding grain.

MILL'-TOOTH, noun plural mill-teeth. A grinder, dens molaris.

MILT'ER, noun A male fish.

MILT'WORT, noun A plant of the genus Asplenium.

MIME, noun A buffoon. [See Mimic.]

1. A kind of dramatic farce.

MIME, verb intransitive To mimic, or play the buffoon. [See Mimic.]

MI'MER, noun A mimic. [See Mimic.]

MIME'SIS, noun [Gr.] In rhetoric, imitation of the voice or gestures of another.

MIMET'IC, adjective [Gr.] Apt to imitate; given to aping or mimicry.

MIM'IC

MIM'ICAL, adjective [Latin mimus, mimicus; Gr. to imitate.]

1. Imitative; inclined to imitate or to ape; having the practice or habit of imitating.

Man is of all creatures the most mimical in gestures, speech, etc.

2. Consisting of imitation; as mimic gestures.

Mimic implies often something droll or ludicrous, or less dignified than imitative.

MIM'IC, noun One who imitates or mimics; a buffoon who attempts to excite laughter or derision by acting or speaking in the manner of another.

1. A mean or servile imitator.

Of France the mimic and of Spain the prey.

MIM'ICK, verb transitive To imitate or ape for sport; to attempt to excite laughter or derision by acting or speaking like another; to ridicule by imitation.

--The walk, the words, the gesture, could supply,

The habit mimick and the mien belie.

MIM'ICRY, noun Ludicrous imitation for sport or ridicule.

MIMOG'RAPHER, noun [Gr.] A writer of farces.

MI'NA, noun [Latin mina ] A weight or denomination of money. The mina of the Old Testament was valued at sixty shekels. The Greek or Attic mina was valued at a hundred drachmas, about f2. l7s.sterling, $10.44 cents.

MINA'CIOUS, adjective [Latin minax, from minor, to threaten.]

Threatening; menacing.

MINAC'ITY, noun [Latin minax.] Disposition to threaten. [Little used.]

MIN'ARET, noun A small spire or steeple, or spire-like ornament in Saracen architecture.

MIN'ATORY, adjective Threatening; menacing.

MINCE, verb transitive mins. [Latin minuo, to diminish; Latin minor, smaller; minuo, to diminish; Gr. small, slender; to diminish; Latin minutus, minute.

1. To cut or chop into very small pieces; as, to mince meat.

2. To diminish in speaking; to retrench, cut off or omit a part for the purpose of suppressing the truth; to extenuate in representation.

I know no way to mince it in love, but to say directly, I love you.

Siren, now mince the sin,

And mollify damnation with a phrase--

If, to mince his meaning, I had either omitted some part of what he said, or taken from the strength of his expression, I certainly had wronged him.

These--were forced to mince the matter.

3. To speak with affected softness; to clip words; not to utter the full sound.

4. To walk with short or diminished steps.

MINCE, verb intransitive To walk with short steps; to walk with affected nicety; to affect delicacy in manner.

I'll turn two mincing steps

Into a manly stride.

Because the daughters of Zion are haughty--

walking and mincing as they go. Isaiah 3:1.

1. To speak softly, or with affected nicety.

MIN'CED, pp. Cut or chopped into very small pieces.

MIN'CING, participle present tense Cutting into small pieces; speaking or walking affectedly.

MIN'CINGLY, adverb In small parts; not fully.

MIND, noun [Latin reminiscor; Latin mens; Gr. memory, mention, to remember, mind ardor of mind vehemence; anger. mind signifies properly intention, a reaching or inclining forward to an object, from the primary sense of extending, stretching or inclining, or advancing eagerly, pushing or setting forward, whence the Greek sense of the word, in analogy with the Teutonic mod, moed, muth, mind courage, spirit, mettle. So Latin animus, animosus.]

1. Intention; purpose; design.

The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination; how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind Proverbs 21:27.

2. Inclination; will; desire; a sense much used, but expressing less than settled purpose; as in the common phrases, 'I wish to know your mind; ' 'let me know your mind; ' 'he had a mind to go; ' 'he has a partner to his mind '

3. Opinion; as, to express one's mind We are of one mind

4. Memory; remembrance; as, to put one in mind; to call to mind; the fact is out of my mind; time out of mind From the operations of the intellect in man, this word came to signify.

5. The intellectual or intelligent power in man; the understanding; the power that conceives, judges or reasons.

I fear I am not in my perfect mind

So we speak of a sound mind a disordered mind a weak mind a strong mind with reference to the active powers of the understanding; and in a passive sense, it denotes capacity, as when we say, the mind cannot comprehend a subject.

6. The heart or seat of affection.

Which were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah. Genesis 26:35.

7. The will and affection; as readiness of mind Acts 17:11.

8. The implanted principle of grace. Romans 7:23.

MIND, verb transitive To attend to; to fix the thoughts on; to regard with attention.

Cease to request me; let us mind our way.

MIND not high things. Romans 12:2.

1. To attend to or regard with submission; to obey. His father told him to desist, but he would not mind him.

2. To put in mind; to remind.

3. To intend; to mean.

MIND, verb intransitive To be inclined or disposed to incline.

When one of them mindeth to go into rebellion.

MINDED, adjective Disposed; inclined.

If men were minded to live virtuously.

Joseph was minded to put her away privily. Matthew 1:19.

MINDED is much used in composition; as high-minded; low-minded; feeble-minded; sober-minded; double-minded.

MINDEDNESS, noun Disposition; inclination towards any thing; as heavenly mindedness

MINDFILLING, adjective Filling the mind.

MINDFUL, adjective Attentive; regarding with care; bearing in mind; heedful; observant.

I promise to be mindful of your admonitions.

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Psalms 7:1.

MINDFULLY, adverb Attentively; heedfully.

MINDFULNESS, noun Attention; regard; heedfulness.

MINDING, participle present tense Regarding; heeding.

MINDING, noun Regard.

MINDLESS, adjective Inattentive; heedless; forgetful; negligent; careless.

Cursed Athens, mindless of thy worth.

1. Not endued with mind or intellectual powers; as mindless bodies.

2. Stupid; unthinking; as a mindless slave.

MINE, adjective called sometimes a pronominal adj. [Latin meus.]

My; belonging to me. It was formerly used before nouns beginning with vowels. 'I kept myself from mine iniquity.' Psalms 18:3. But this use is no longer retained. We now use my before a vowel as well as before an articulation; as my iniquity. In present usage, my always precedes the noun, and mine follows the noun, and usually the verb; as, this is my book; this book is mine; it is called my book; the book is called mine:it is acknowledged to be mine

MINE sometimes supplies the place of a noun. Your sword and mine are different in construction.

MINE, noun

1. A pit or excavation in the earth, from which metallic ores, mineral substances and other fossil bodies are taken by digging. The pits from which stones only are taken, are called quarries.

2. In the military art, a subterraneous canal or passage dug under the wall or rampart of a fortification, where a quantity of power may be lodged for blowing up the works.

3. A rich source of wealth or other good.

MINE, verb intransitive To dig a mine or pit in the earth.

1. To form a subterraneous canal or hole by scratching; to form a burrow or lodge in the earth, as animals; as the mining coney.

2. To practice secret means in injury.

MINE, verb transitive To sap; to undermine; to dig away or otherwise remove the substratum or foundation; hence, to ruin or destroy by slow degrees or secret means.

They mined the walls.

In a metaphorical sense, undermine is generally used.

MI'NER, noun One that digs for metals and other fossils.

1. One who digs canals or passages under the walls of a fort, etc. Armies have sappers and miners.

MIN'ERAL, noun [Low Latin minera, a matrix or vein of metals, whence mineralia; all from mine.]

A body destitute of organization, and which naturally exists within the earth or at its surface.

Minerals were formerly divided into salts, earths, inflammables and ores; a division which serves for a general distribution, but a more scientific arrangement into classes, orders, genera, species, subspecies and varieties, has been adopted to meet the more precise views of modern mineralogists.

MIN'ERAL, adjective Pertaining to minerals; consisting of fossil substances; as the mineral kingdom.

1. Impregnated with minerals or fossil matter; as mineral waters; a mineral spring.

MIN'ERALIST, noun One versed or employed in minerals.

MINERALIZA'TION, noun [See Mineralize.]

1. The process of forming an ore by combination with another substance; the natural operation of uniting a metallic substance with another.

2. The process of converting into a mineral, as a bone or a plant.

3. The act of impregnating with a mineral, as water.

MIN'ERALIZE, verb transitive [from mineral] In mineralogy, to combine with a metal in forming an ore or mineral. Sulphur mineralizes many of the metals.

1. To convert into a mineral.

In these caverns, the bones are not mineralized.

2. To impregnate with a mineral substance; as, to mineralize water.

MIN'ERALIZED, participle passive Deprived of its usual properties by being combined with another substance or formed into an ore; as, metallic substances are mineralized

1. Converted into a mineral.

2. Impregnated with a mineral.

MIN'ERALIZER, noun A substance which mineralizes another or combines with it in an ore, and thus deprives it of its usual and peculiar properties. Sulphur is one of the most common mineralizers.

MINERALOG'ICAL, adjective [See Mineralogy.] Pertaining to the science of minerals; as a mineralogical table.

MINERALOG'ICALLY, adverb In mineralogy.

MINERAL'OGIST, noun One who is versed in the science of minerals, or one who treats or discourses of the properties of mineral bodies.

MINERAL'OGY, noun [mineral and Gr. discourse.] The science which treats of the properties of mineral substances, and teaches us to characterize, distinguish and class them according to their properties. It comprehends the study or science of all inorganic substances in the earth or on its surface.

MIN'GLE, verb transitive

1. To mix; to blend; to unite in one body; as, to mingle liquors of different kinds.

2. To mix or blend without order or promiscuously.

There was fire mingled with hail. Exodus 9:24.

3. To compound; to unite in a mass, as solid substances; as, to mingle flour, sugar and eggs in cookery.

4. To join in mutual intercourse or in society.

The holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands. Ezra 9:2. Psalms 106:35.

5. To contaminate; to render impure; to debase by mixture.

The best of us appear contented with a mingled imperfect virtue.

6. To confuse.

There mingle broils.

MIN'GLE, verb intransitive To be mixed; to be united with.

She, when she saw her sister nymphs, suppressed

Her rising fears, and mingled with the rest.

MIN'GLE, noun Mixture; medley; promiscuous mass. [Not used.]

MIN'GLED, participle passive Mixed; united promiscuously.

MIN'GLEDLY, adverb Confusedly.

MIN'GLER, noun One that mingles.

MIN'GLING, participle present tense Mixing; uniting without order.

MIN'IARD, adjective Soft; dainty. [Little used.]

MIN'IARDIZE, verb transitive To render soft, delicate or dainty.

MIN'IATE, verb transitive [Latin minium, vermillion.] To paint or tinge with vermillion.

MIN'IATURE, noun

1. A painting in water colors on vellum, ivory or paper, with points or dots; sometimes in oil colors. The term is usually applied to portraits painted on a very small scale.

2. A picture or representation in a small compass, or less than the reality.

3. Red letter; rubric distinction.

MIN'IKIN, adjective Small; diminutive; used in slight contempt.

MIN'IKIN, noun A small sort of pins.

1. A darling; a favorite. [See Minion.]

MIN'IM, noun

1. A little man or being; a dwarf.

2. One of a certain reformed order of Franciscans or Minimi.

3. A note in music, equal to half a semi-breve or two crotchets.

4. A short poetical encomium.

5. A small fish.

MIN'IMUM, noun [Latin] The least quantity assignable in a given case.

MIN'IMUS, noun [Latin] A being of the smallest size.

MI'NING, participle present tense Digging into the earth, as for fossils and minerals; sapping.

1. adjective Designating the business of digging mines; as the mining districts of Siberia.

MIN'ION, adjective [infra.] Fine; trim; dainty. [Not used.]

MINION, noun min'yon. A favorite; a darling; particularly, the favorite of a prince, on whom he lavishes his favors; one who gains favors by flattery or mean adulation.

Edward sent an army into Ireland, not for conquest, but to guard the person of his minion Piers Gaviston.

The drowsy tyrant by his minions led.

MIN'ION, noun [Latin minor. See Mince.]

A small kind of printing types.

MIN'IONING, noun Kind treatment.

MIN'IONLIKE

MIN'IONLY, adverb Finely; daintily.

MIN'IONSHIP, noun State of being a minion.

MIN'IOUS, noun [from Latin minium.] Of the color of red lead or vermillion.

MIN'ISH, verb transitive [Latin minuo, to lessen.]

To lessen; to diminish. [See Diminish.]

MIN'ISTER, noun [Latin]

1. Properly, a chief servant; hence, an agent appointed to transact or manage business under the authority of another; in which sense, it is a word of very extensive application.

Moses rose up and his minister Joshua. Exodus 24:13.

2. One to whom a king or prince entrusts the direction of affairs of state; as minister of state; the prime minister In modern governments, the secretaries or heads of the several departments or branches of government are the ministers of the chief magistrate.

3. A magistrate; an executive officer.

For he is the minister of God to thee for good. Romans 13:4.

4. A delegate; an embassador; the representative of a sovereign at a foreign court; usually such as is resident at a foreign court, but not restricted to such.

5. One who serves at the altar; one who performs sacerdotal duties; the pastor of a church, duly authorized or licensed to preach the gospel and administer the sacraments. Ephesians 3:7.

6. Christ is called a minister of the sanctuary. Hebrews 8:2.

7. An angel; a messenger of God.

Who maketh his angels spirits, his ministers a flaming fire. Psalms 104:4.

MIN'ISTER, verb transitive [Latin ministro.] To give; to afford; to supply.

He that ministereth seed to the sower--2 Corinthians 9:10.

That it may minister grace to the hearers. Ephesians 4:29.

MIN'ISTER, verb intransitive To attend and serve; to perform service in any office, sacred or secular.

I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office. Exodus 29:1.

1. To afford supplies; to give things needful; to supply the means of relief; to relieve.

When saw we thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Matthew 25:44.

2. To give medicines.

Canst thou not minister to a mind diseased?

In this sense, we commonly use administer.

MIN'ISTERED, participle passive Served; afforded; supplied.

MINISTE'RIAL, adjective Attending for service; attendant; acting at command.

Enlight'ning spirits and ministerial flames.

1. Acting under superior authority; pertaining to a minister.

For the ministerial offices in court, there must be an eye to them.

2. Pertaining to executive offices, as distinct from judicial. The office and acts of a sheriff are ministerial

3. Sacerdotal; pertaining to ministers of the gospel; as ministerial garments; ministerial duties.

Genuine ministerial prudence keeps back no important truth, listens to no compromise with sin, connives at no fashionable vice, cringes before no lordly worldling.

4. Pertaining to ministers of state; as ministerial circles; ministerial benches.

MINISTE'RIALLY, adverb In a ministerial manner or character.

MIN'ISTERING, participle present tense Attending and serving as a subordinate agent; serving under superior authority. Hebrews 1:14.

1. Affording aid or supplies; administering things needful.

MINISTERY. [See Ministry.]

MIN'ISTRAL, adjective Pertaining to a minister. [Little used.]

MIN'ISTRANT, adjective Performing service as a minister; attendant on service; acting under command.

Princedoms and dominations ministrant

MINISTRA'TION, noun [Latin ministratio.] The act of performing service as a subordinate agent; agency; intervention for aid or service.

-- Because their widows were neglected in the daily ministrations. Acts 6:1.

1. Office of a minister; service; ecclesiastical function.

As soon as the days of his ministration were ended. Luke 1:23.

MIN'ISTRESS, noun A female that ministers.

MIN'ISTRY, noun [Latin ministerium.] The office, duties or functions of a subordinate agent of any kind.

1. Agency; service; aid; interposition; instrumentality.

He directs the affairs of this world by the ordinary ministry of second causes.

2. Ecclesiastical function; agency or service of a minister of the gospel or clergyman in the modern church, or of priests, apostles and evangelists in the ancient. Acts 1:17. Romans 12:7. 2 Timothy 4:5. Numbers 4:12.

3. Time of ministration; duration of the office of a minister, civil or ecclesiastical.

The war with France was during the ministry of Pitt.

4. Persons who compose the executive government or the council of a supreme magistrate; the body of ministers of state.

5. Business; employment.

He abhorred the wicked ministry of arms.

MINISTRYSHIP, for ministry, is little used and hardly proper.

MIN'IUM, noun [Latin] The red oxyd of lead, produced by calcination. Lead exposed to air while melting is covered with a gray dusky pellicle. This taken off and agitated becomes a greenish gray powder, inclining to yellow. This oxyd, separated by sifting from the grains of lead which it contains, and exposed to a more intense heat, takes a deep yellow color, and in this state it is called massicot. The latter, slowly heated, takes a beautiful red color, and is called minium

MINK, noun An American quadruped of the genus Mustela, an amphibious animal that burrows in the earth on the side of a river or pond, whose fur is more valuable than that of the muskrat.

MINNOC, used by Shakespeare, is supposed by Johnson to be the same as minx.

MIN'NOW

MI'NOR, adjective [Latin minuo, to diminish. See Mince.]

1. Less; smaller; sometimes applied to the bulk or magnitude of a single object; more generally to amount, degree or importance. We say, the minor divisions of a body, the minor part of a body; opposed to the major part. We say, minor sums, minor faults, minor considerations, details or arguments. In the latter phrases, minor is equivalent to small, petty, inconsiderable, not principal, important or weighty.

2. In music, less or lower by a lesser semi-tone; as a third minor.

Asia Minor, the Lesser Asia, that part of Asia which lies between the Euxine on the north, and the Mediterranean on the south.

MI'NOR, noun A person of either sex under age; one who is under the authority of his parents or guardians, or who is not permitted by law to make contracts and manage his own property. By the laws of Great Britain and of the United States, persons are minors till they are twenty one years of age.

1. In logic, the second proposition of a regular syllogism, as in the following:

Every act of injustice partakes of meanness.

To take money from another by gaming, or reputation by seduction, are acts of injustice.

Therefore the taking of money from another by gaming, or reputation by seduction, partake of meanness.

2. A Minorite, a Franciscan friar.

3. A beautiful bird of the East Indies.

MI'NOR, a. [L. minuo, to diminish. See Mince.]

Asia Minor, the Lesser Asia, that part of Asia which lies between the Euxine on the north, and the Mediterranean on the south.

MI'NOR, n. A person of either sex under age; one who is under the authority of his parents or guardians, or who is not permitted by law to make contracts and manage his own property. By the laws of Great Britain and of the United States, persons are minors till they are twenty one years of age.

MI'NORATE, verb transitive To diminish. [Not used.]

MI'NORITE, noun A Franciscan friar.

MIN'OTAUR, noun [Latin . minotaurus; from man, which must have been in early ages a Latin word, and taurus, a bull.]

A fabled monster, half man and half bull.

MIN'OW, noun A very small fish, a species of Cyprinus.

MIN'STER, noun A monastery; an ecclesiastical convent or fraternity; but it is said originally to have been the church of a monastery; a cathedral church.

MIN'STREL, noun A singer and musical performer on instruments. Minstrels were formerly poets as well as musicians, and held in high repute by our rude ancestors. Their attendance was sought and their performances lavishly rewarded by princes. It was in the character of a minstrel that king Alfred entered the camp of the Danes his enemies, and explored their situation.

MIN'STRELSY, noun The arts and occupations of minstrels; instrumental music.

1. A number of musicians.

The minstrelsy of heaven.

MIN'UEND, noun [Latin minuendus, minuo, to lessen.]

In arithmetic, the number form which another number is to subtracted.

MIN'UET, noun

1. A slow graceful dance, consisting of a coupee, a high step and a balance.

2. A tune or air to regulate the movements in the dance so called; a movement of three crotchets or three quavers in a bar.

MIN'UM, noun

1. A small kind of printing types; now written minion.

2. A note of slow time containing two crotchets; now written minim, which see.

MINU'TELY, adverb [from minute.] To a small point of time, space or matter; exactly; nicely; as, to measure the length of any thing minutely; to ascertain time minutely; to relate a story minutely

MINUTELY, adjective min'itly. Happening every minute.

MIN'UTELY, adverb [from minute.] Every minute; with very little time intervening.

As if it were minutely proclaimed in thunder from heaven.

MINU'TENESS, noun Extreme smallness, fineness or slenderness; as the minuteness of the particles of air or of a fluid; the minuteness of the filaments of cotton; the minuteness of details in narration.

1. Attention to small things; critical exactness; as the minuteness of observation or distinction.

MINU'TIAE, noun [Latin] The smaller particulars.

MINX, noun A pert, wanton girl.

1. A she-puppy.

MI'NY, adjective [from mine.] Abounding with mines.

1. Subterraneous.

MI'RABLE, adjective Wonderful. [Not in use.]

MIR'ACLE, noun [Latin miraculum, from miror, to wonder.]

1. Literally, a wonder or wonderful thing; but appropriately,

2. In theology, an event or effect contrary to the established constitution and course of things, or a deviation from the known laws of nature; a supernatural event. Miracles can be wrought only by Almighty power, as when Christ healed lepers, saying, 'I will, be thou clean, ' or calmed the tempest, 'Peace, be still.'

They considered not the miracle of the loaves. Mark 6:52.

A man approved of God by miracles and signs. Acts 2:22.

3. Anciently, a spectacle or dramatic representation exhibiting the lives of the saints.

MIR'ACLE, verb transitive To make wonderful. [Not used.]

MIRAC'ULOUS, adjective Performed supernaturally, or by a power beyond the ordinary agency of natural laws; effected by the direct agency of Almighty power, and not by natural causes; as the miraculous healing of the sick or raising the dead by Christ.

1. Supernatural; furnished supernaturally, or competent to perform miracles; as the miraculous powers of the Apostles. miraculous applied to the extraordinary powers of the Apostles, may mean conferred by supernatural agency, or competent to work miracles. I believe it is generally used in the latter sense.

2. In a less definite sense, wonderful; extra-ordinary.

MIRAC'ULOUSLY, adverb By miracle; supernaturally.

AEneas, wounded as he was, could not have engaged him in single combat, unless his hurt had been miraculously healed.

1. Wonderfully; by extraordinary means.

MIRAC'ULOUSNESS, noun The state of being effected by miracle or by supernatural agency.

MIRADOR, noun [Latin miror.] A balcony or gallery commanding an extensive view.

MIRE, noun Deep mud; earth so wet and soft as to yield to the feet and to wheels.

MIRE, verb transitive To plunge and fix in mire; to set or stall in mud. We say, a horse, an ox or a carriage is mired, when it has sunk deep into mud and its progress is stopped.

1. To soil or daub with mud or foul matter.

MIRE, verb intransitive To sink in mud, or to sink so deep as to be unable to move forward.

MIRE, noun An ant. [See Pismire.]

MI'RINESS, noun [from miry.] The state of consisting of deep mud.

MIRK, adjective Dark. [See Murky.]

MIRK'SOME, adjective Dark; obscure. [See Murky.]

MIRK'SOMENESS, noun Obscurity. [See Murky.]

MIR'ROR, noun [Latin miror, to admire.]

1. A looking glass; any glass or polished substance that forms images by the reflection of rays of light.

In the clear mirror of thy ruling star

I saw, alas! some dread event depend.

2. A pattern; an exemplar; that on which men ought to fix their eyes; that which gives a true representation, or in which a true image may be seen.

O goddess, heavenly bright,

Mirror of grace and majesty divine.

MIRTH, noun merth. Social merriment; hilarity; high excitement of pleasurable feelings in company; noisy gayety; jollity. mirth differs from joy and cheerfulness, as always implying noise.

With genial joy to warm the soul,

Bright Helen mixed a mirth-inspiring bowl.

I will cause to cease the voice of mirth from Judah and Jerusalem. Jeremiah 7:34.

MIRTH'FUL, adjective Merry; jovial; festive.

The feast was served, the bowl was crown'd,

To the king's pleasure went the mirthful round.

MIRTH['FULLY, adverb In a jovial manner.

MIRTH'LESS, adjective Without mirth or hilarity.

MI'RY, adjective [from mire.] Abounding with deep mud; full of mire; as a miry road; a miry lane.

1. Consisting of mire.

MIS, a prefix, denotes error, or erroneous, wrong, from the verb miss, to err, to go wrong.

MISACCEPTA'TION, noun The act of taking or understanding in a wrong sense.

MISADVEN'TURE, noun Mischance; misfortune; ill luck; an unlucky accident.

1. In law, homicide by misadventure is when a man, doing a lawful act, without any intention of injury, unfortunately kills another. This is called excusable homicide.

MISADVEN'TURED, adjective Unfortunate.

MISADVI'SED, adjective [See Advise.] Ill advised; ill directed.

MISAFFECT', verb transitive To dislike.

MISAFFECT'ED, adjective Ill disposed.

MISAFFIRM', verb transitive To affirm incorrectly.

MISA'IMED, adjective Not rightly aimed or directed.

MISALLEDGE, verb transitive misallej'. To state erroneously.

MISALLEGA'TION, noun Erroneous statement.

MISALLI'ANCE, noun Improper association.

MISALLI'ED, adjective Ill allied or associated.

MIS'ANTHROPE

MISANTHROP'IC

MISANTHROP'ICAL, adjective Hating or having a dislike to mankind.

MISANTHROP'IC

MISANTHROP'ICAL, a. Hating or having a dislike to mankind.

MISAN'THROPIST, noun [Gr. to hate, and man.] A hater of mankind.

MISAN'THROPY, noun Hatred or dislike to mankind; opposed to philanthropy.

MISAPPLICA'TION, noun A wrong application; an application to a wrong person or purpose.

MISAPPLI'ED, participle passive Applied to a wrong person or purpose.

MISAPPLY', verb transitive To apply to a wrong person or purpose; as to misapply a name or title; to misapply our talents or exertions; to misapply public money.

MISAPPLY'ING, participle present tense Applying to a wrong person or purpose.

MISAPPREHEND', verb transitive To misunderstand; to take in a wrong sense.

MISAPPREHEND'ING, participle present tense Misunderstanding.

MISAPPREHEN'SION, noun A mistaking or mistake; wrong apprehension of one's meaning or of a fact.

MISASCRI'BE, verb transitive To ascribe falsely or erroneously.

MISASSIGN, verb transitive [See Assign.] To assign erroneously.

MISATTEND', verb transitive To disregard.

MISBECOME, verb transitive misbecum'. [See Become.]

Not to become; to suit ill; not to befit.

Thy father will not act what misbecomes him.

MISBECOM'ING, participle present tense or adjective Unseemly; unsuitable; improper; indecorous.

MISBECOM'INGNESS, noun Unbecomingness; unsuitableness.

MISBEGOT'

MISBEGOT'TEN, participle present tense or adjective Unlawfully or irregularly begotten.

MISBEGOT'TEN, ppr. or a. Unlawfully or irregularly begotten.

MISBEHA'VE, verb intransitive To behave ill; to conduct one's self improperly.

MISBEHA'VED, adjective Guilty of ill behavior; ill bred; rude.

MISBEHA'VIOR, noun misbeha'vyor. Ill conduct; improper, rude or uncivil behavior.

MISBELIE'F, noun Erroneous belief; false religion.

MISBELIE'VE, verb transitive To believe erroneously.

MISBELIE'VER, noun One who believes wrongly; one who holds a false religion.

MISBELIE'VING, adjective Believing erroneously; irreligious.

MISBESEE'M, verb transitive To suit ill.

MISBESTOW, verb transitive To bestow improperly.

MIS'BORN, adjective Born to evil.

MISCAL'CULATE, verb transitive To calculate erroneously.

MISCAL'CULATED, participle passive Erroneously calculated.

MISCAL'CULATING, participle present tense Committing errors in calculation.

MISCALCULA'TION, noun Erroneous calculation.

MISCALL', verb transitive To call by a wrong name; to name improperly.

MISCALL'ED, participle passive Misnamed.

MISCALL'ING, participle present tense Misnaming.

MISCAR'RIAGE, noun Unfortunate event of an undertaking; failure.

When a counselor, to save himself,

Would lay miscarriages upon his prince.

1. Ill conduct; evil or improper behavior; as the failings and miscarriages of the righteous.

2. Abortion; the act of bringing forth before the time.

MISCAR'RY, verb intransitive To fail of the intended effect; not to succeed; to be unsuccessful; to suffer defeat; applied to persons or undertakings, and to things. We say, a project, scheme, design, enterprise, attempt, has miscarried.

Have you not heart of Frederick, the great soldier, who miscarried at sea?

My ships have all miscarried.

1. To bring forth young before the proper time; to suffer abortion.

MISCAR'RYING, participle present tense Failing of the intended effect; suffering abortion. Hosea 9.

MISC'AST, verb transitive To cast or reckon erroneously.

MISC'AST, participle passive Erroneously cast or reckoned.

MISC'AST, noun An erroneous cast or reckoning.

MISC'ASTING, participle present tense Casting or reckoning erroneously.

MISCELLANA'RIAN, adjective [See Miscellany.]

Belonging to miscellanies; of miscellanies.

Miscellanarian authors.

MISCELLANA'RIAN, noun A writer of miscellanies.

MIS'CELLANE, noun [Latin miscellaneus.] A mixture of two or more sorts of grain; now called meslin.

MISCELLA'NEOUS, adjective [Latin miscellaneus, from misceo, to mix.]

Mixed; mingled; consisting of several kinds; as a miscellaneous publication; a miscellaneous rabble.

MISCELLA'NEOUSNESS, noun The state of being mixed; composition of various kinds.

MIS'CELLANY, noun [Latin miscellanea, from misceo, to mix.]

1. A mass or mixture of various kinds; particularly,

2. A book or pamphlet containing a collection of compositions on various subjects, or a collection of various kinds of compositions.

MIS'CELLANY, adjective Miscellaneous.

MISCEN'TER, verb transitive To place amiss. [Not in use.]

MISCH'ANCE, noun Ill luck; ill fortune; misfortune; mishap; misadventure.

It is a man's unhappiness, his mischance or calamity, but not his fault.

MISCHAR'ACTERIZE, verb transitive [See Character.] To characterize falsely or erroneously; to give a wrong character to.

They totally mischaracterize the action.

MISCH'ARGE, verb transitive To mistake in charging, as an account.

MISCH'ARGE, noun A mistake in charging, as an account; an erroneous entry in an account.

MIS'CHIEF, noun

1. Harm; hurt; injury; damage; evil, whether intended or not. A new law is made to remedy the mischief

2. Intentional injury; harm or damage done by design.

Thy tongue deviseth mischief Psalms 52:1.

3. Ill consequence; evil; vexatious affair.

The mischief was, these allies would never allow that the common enemy was subdued.

MIS'CHIEF, verb transitive To hurt; to harm; to injure.

MIS'CHIEVOUS, adjective Harmful; hurtful; injurious; making mischief; of persons; as a mischievous man or disposition.

1. Hurtful; noxious; as a mischievous thing.

2. Inclined to do harm; as a mischievous boy.

MIS'CHIEVOUSLY, adverb With injury, hurt, loss or damage. We say, the law operates mischievously

1. With evil intention or disposition. The injury was done mischievously

MIS'CHIEVOUSNESS, noun Hurtfulness; noxiousness.

1. Disposition to do harm, or to vex or annoy; as the mischievousness of youth.

Mischief denotes injury, harm or damage of less malignity and magnitude than what are usually called crimes. We never give the name of mischief to theft, robbery or murder. And it so commonly implies intention in committing petty offenses, that it shocks us to hear the word applied to the calamities inflicted by Providence. We say, a tempest has done great damage, but not mischief. In like manner, the adjective mischievous is not applied to thieves, pirates and other felons, but to persons committing petty trespasses and offenses.

MISCH'NA, noun A part of the Jewish Talmud. [See Mishna.]

MISCHOOSE, verb transitive mischooz'. To choose wrong; to make a wrong choice.

MISCHO'SEN, participle passive Chosen by mistake.

MIS'CIBLE, adjective [Latin misceo, to mix.]

That may be mixed. Oil and water are not miscible

MISCITA'TION, noun A wrong citation; erroneous quotation.

MISCI'TE, verb transitive To cite erroneously or falsely.

MISCLA'IM, noun A mistaken claim or demand.

MISCOMPUTA'TION, noun Erroneous computation; false reckoning.

MISCOMPU'TE, verb transitive To compute or reckon erroneously.

MISCONCE'IT

MISCONCE'IVE, verb transitive or i. To receive a false notion or opinion of any thing; to misjudge; to have an erroneous understanding of any thing.

To yield to others just and reasonable causes of those things, which, for want of due consideration heretofore, they have misconceived.

MISCONCE'IVE, v.t. or i. To receive a false notion or opinion of any thing; to misjudge; to have an erroneous understanding of any thing.

MISCONCE'IVED, participle passive Wrongly understood; mistaken.

MISCONCE'IVING, participle present tense Mistaking; misunderstanding.

MISCONCEP'TION, noun Erroneous conception; false opinion; wrong notion or understanding of a thing.

Great errors and dangers result from a misconception of the names of things.

MISCON'DUCT, noun Wrong conduct; ill behavior; ill management.

MISCONDUCT', verb transitive To conduct amiss; to mismanage.

MISCONDUCT', verb intransitive To behave amiss.

MISCONDUCT'ED, participle passive Ill managed; badly conducted.

MISCONDUCT'ING, participle present tense Mismanaging; misbehaving.

MISCONJEC'TURE, noun A wrong conjecture or guess.

MISCONJEC'TURE, verb transitive or i. To guess wrong.

MISCONSTRUC'TION, noun Wrong interpretation of words or things; a mistaking of the true meaning; as a misconstruction of words or actions.

MISCON'STRUE, verb transitive To interpret erroneously either words or things. It is important not to misconstrue the Scriptures.

Do not, great sir, misconstrue his intent.

A virtuous emperor was much affected to find his actions misconstrued.

MISCON'STRUED, participle passive Erroneously interpreted.

MISCON'STRUER, noun One who makes a wrong interpretation.

MISCON'STRUING, participle present tense Interpreting wrongly.

MISCORRECT', verb transitive To correct erroneously; to mistake in attempting to correct another.

He passed the first seven years of his life at Mantua, not seventeen, as Scaliger miscorrects his author.

MISCORRECT'ED, participle passive Mistaken in the attempt to correct.

MISCOUN'SEL, verb transitive To advise wrong.

MISCOUNT', verb transitive To count erroneously; to mistake in counting.

MISCOUNT', verb intransitive To make a wrong reckoning.

MISCOUNT', noun An erroneous counting or numbering.

MIS'CREANCE

MIS'CREANCY, noun [See Miscreant.] Unbelief; false faith; adherence to a false religion.

MIS'CREANCY, n. [See Miscreant.] Unbelief; false faith; adherence to a false religion.

MIS'CREANT, noun [Latin credens, credo.]

1. An infidel, or one who embraces a false faith.

2. A vile wretch; an unprincipled fellow.

MISCREA'TE

MISCREA'TED, adjective Formed unnaturally or illegitimately; deformed.

MISCREA'TED, a. Formed unnaturally or illegitimately; deformed.

MISDA'TE, noun A wrong date.

MISDA'TE, verb intransitive To date erroneously.

MISDEE'D, noun An evil deed; a wicked action.

Evils which our own misdeeds have wrought.

MISDEE'M, verb transitive To judge erroneously; to misjudge; to mistake in judging.

MISDEME'AN, verb transitive To behave ill.

MISDEME'ANOR, noun Ill behavior; evil conduct; fault; mismanagement.

1. In law, an offense of a less atrocious nature than a crime. Crimes and misdemeanors are mere synonymous terms; but in common usage, the word crime is made to denote offenses of a deeper and more atrocious dye, while small faults and omissions of less consequence are comprised under the gentler name of misdemeanors.

MISDESERT', noun Ill desert.

MISDEVO'TION, noun False devotion; mistaken piety. [Little used.]

MISDI'ET, noun Improper diet or food. [Not used.]

MISDIRECT', verb transitive To give a wrong direction to; as to misdirect a passenger.

1. To direct to a wrong person or place; as, to misdirect a letter.

MISDIRECT'ED, participle passive Directed wrong, or to a wrong person or place.

MISDIRECT'ING, participle present tense Directing wrong, or to a wrong person or place.

MISDISPOSI'TION, noun Disposition to evil. [Not in use.]

MISDISTIN'GUISH, verb transitive To make wrong distinctions.

MISDO, verb transitive [See Do.] To do wrong; to do amiss; to commit a crime or fault.

MISDOER, noun One who does wrong; one who commits a fault or crime.

MISDOING, participle present tense Doing wrong; committing a fault or crime.

MISDOING, noun A wrong done; a fault or crime; an offense.

MISDOUBT, verb transitive misdout'. [See Doubt.] To suspect of deceit or danger. [An ill formed word and not in use.]

MISDOUBT', noun Suspicion of crime or danger. [Not used.]

1. Irresolution; hesitation. [Not used.]

MISDOUBT'FUL, adjective Misgiving. [Not used.]

MISE, noun meze. [Latin mitto.]

1. In law, an issue to be tried at the grand assize.

2. Expense; cost.

3. A tax or tallage; in Wales, an honorary gift of the people to a new king or prince of Wales; also, a tribute paid in the county Palatine of Chester at the change of the owner of the earldoms.

MISEMPLOY', verb transitive To employ to no purpose, or to a bad purpose; as, to misemploy time, power, advantages, talents, etc.

MISEMPLOY'ED, participle passive Used to no purpose, or to a bad one.

MISEMPLOY'ING, participle present tense Using to no purpose, or to a bad one.

MISEMPLOY'MENT, noun Ill employment; application to no purpose, or to a bad purpose.

MISEN'TRY, noun An erroneous entry or charge, as of an account.

MI'SER, noun s as z. [Latin miser miserable.] A miserable person; one wretched or afflicted.

1. A wretch; a mean fellow.

2. An extremely covetous person; a sordid wretch; a niggard; one who in wealth makes himself miserable by the fear of poverty. [This is the only sense in which it is now used.]

No silver saints by dying misers given.

MIS'ERABALE, adjective s as z. [Latin miser, miserabilis.]

1. Very unhappy from grief, pain, calamity, poverty, apprehension of evil, or other cause. It however expresses somewhat less than wretched.

What hopes delude thee, miserable man?

2. Very poor; worthless.

Miserable comforters are ye all. Job 16:1.

3. Causing unhappiness or misery.

What's more miserable than discontent?

4. Very poor or mean; as a miserable hut; miserable clothing.

5. Very poor or barren; as a miserable soil.

6. Very low or despicable; as a miserable person.

MIS'ERABLENESS, noun State of misery; poorness.

MIS'ERABLY, adverb Unhappily; calamitously.

The fifth was miserably stabbed to death.

1. Very poorly or meanly; wretchedly. They were miserably entertained.

2. In misery or unhappiness.

MI'SERLY, adjective [See Miser.] Very covetous; sordid; niggardly; parsimonious.

MIS'ERY, noun s as z. [Latin miseria.]

1. Great unhappiness; extreme pain of body or mind. A man suffers misery from the gout, or from great afflictions, distress, calamity, and other evils. misery expresses somewhat less than wretchedness.

Misery is as really the fruit of vice reigning in the heart, as tares are the produce of tares sown in the field.

2. Calamity; misfortune; natural evils which are the cause of misery

And mourn the miseries of human life.

3. Covetousness. [Not used.]

MISES'TIMATE, verb transitive To estimate erroneously.

MISFALL', verb transitive To befall, as ill luck; to happen to unluckily.

MISFA'RE, noun Ill fare; misfortune.

MISFASH'ION, verb transitive To form wrong.

MISFE'ASANCE, noun misfe'zance. In law, a trespass; a wrong done.

MISFORM', verb transitive To make of an ill form; to put in an ill shape.

MISFOR'TUNE, noun Ill fortune; ill luck; calamity; an evil or cross accident; as loss of property at sea or by fire.

Consider why the change was wrought,

You'll find it his misfortune not his fault.

MISFOR'TUNED, adjective Unfortunate.

MISGIVE, verb transitive misgiv'. [See Give.] To fill with doubt; to deprive of confidence; to fail; usually applied to the heart.

So doth my heart misgive me.

His heart misgave him.

1. To give or grant amiss. [Not in use.]

MISGIV'ING, participle present tense Filling with doubt or distrust; failing.

MISGIV'ING, noun A failing of confidence; doubt; distrust.

Doubts, suspicions and misgivings.

MISGOT'TEN, adjective Unjustly obtained.

MISGOV'ERN, verb transitive To govern ill; to administer unfaithfully.

Solyman charged him bitterly that he had misgoverned the state.

MISGOV'ERNANCE, noun Ill government; disorder; irregularity.

MISGOV'ERNED, participle passive Ill governed; badly administered.

1. Rude; unrestrained; as rude, misgoverned hands.

MISGOV'ERNMENT, noun Ill administration of public affairs.

1. Ill management in private affairs.

2. Irregularity; disorder.

MISGR'AFF, verb transitive To graft amiss.

MISGROUND', verb transitive To found erroneously.

MISGUI'DANCE, noun Wrong direction; guidance into error.

MISGUI'DE, verb transitive To lead or guide into error; to direct ill; as, to misguide the understanding or mind.

MISGUI'DED, participle passive Let astray by evil counsel or wrong direction; as a misguided prince.

MISGUI'DING, participle present tense Giving wrong direction to; leading into error.

MIS'GUM

MIS'GURN, noun An anguilliform fish about the size of a common eel.

MIS'GURN, n. An anguilliform fish about the size of a common eel.

MISHAP', noun Ill chance; evil accident; ill luck; misfortune.

Secure from worldly chances and mishaps.

MISHAP'PEN, verb intransitive To happen ill.

MISHE'AR, verb transitive To mistake in hearing.

MISH'NA, noun A collection or digest of Jewish traditions and explanations of Scripture.

MISH'NIC, adjective Pertaining or relating to the Mishna.

MISIMPROVE, verb transitive misimproov'. To improve to a bad purpose; to abuse; as, to misimprove time, talents, advantages.

MISIMPROVED, participle passive Used to a bad purpose.

MISIMPROVEMENT, noun misimproov'ment. Ill use or employment; improvement to a bad purpose.

MISINFER', verb transitive To draw a wrong inference.

MISINFORM', verb transitive To give erroneous information to; to communicate an incorrect statement of facts.

MISINFORMA'TION, noun Wrong informations; false account or intelligence received.

MISINFORM'ED, participle passive Wrongly informed.

MISINFORM'ER, noun One that gives wrong information.

MISINFORM'ING, participle present tense Communicating erroneous information to.

MISINSTRUCT', verb transitive To instruct amiss.

MISINSTRUC'TION, noun Wrong instruction.

MISINTEL'LIGENCE, noun Wrong information; disagreement.

MISINTER'PRET, verb transitive To interpret erroneously; to understand or to explain in a wrong sense.

MISINTERPRETA'TION, noun The act of interpreting erroneously.

MISINTER'PRETED, adjective Erroneously understood or explained.

MISINTER'PRETER, noun One who interprets erroneously.

MISINTER'PRETING, participle present tense Erroneously interpreting.

MISJOIN', verb transitive To join unfitly or improperly.

MISJOIN'ED, participle passive Improperly united.

MISJOIN'ING, participle present tense Joining unfitly or improperly.

MISJUDGE, verb transitive misjudg'. To mistake in judging of; to judge erroneously.

MISJUDGE, verb intransitive misjudg'. To err in judgment; to form false opinions or notions.

MISJUDG'ED, participle passive Judged erroneously.

MISJUDG'ING, participle present tense Judging erroneously of; forming a wrong opinion or inference.

MISJUDG'MENT, noun A wrong or unjust determination.

MIS'KIN, noun A little bagpipe.

MISKIN'DLE, verb transitive To kindle amiss; to inflame to a bad purpose.

MISLA'ID, participle passive Laid in a wrong place, or place not recollected; lost.

MISLA'Y, verb transitive To lay in a wrong place.

The fault is generally mislaid upon nature.

1. To lay in a place not recollected; to lose.

If the butler be the tell-tale, mislay a spoon so as he may never find it.

MISLA'YER, noun One that lays in a wrong place; one that loses.

MISLA'YING, participle present tense Laying in a wrong place, or place not remembered; losing.

MISLE, verb intransitive mis'l. [from mist, and properly mistle.]

To rain in very fine drops, like a thick mist.

MISLE'AD, verb transitive preterit tense and participle passive misled. [See Lead.]

To lead into a wrong way or path; to lead astray; to guide into error; to cause to mistake; to deceive.

Trust not servants who mislead or misinform you,

But of the two, less dangerous is th' offense,

To tire our patience, than mislead our sense.

MISLE'ADER, noun One who leads into error.

MISLE'ADING, participle present tense Leading into error; causing to err; deceiving.

MISLED', participle passive of mislead. Let into error; led a wrong way.

--To give due light

To the misled and lonely traveller.

MISLETOE, noun mis'lto. A plant or shrub that grows on trees. It is of the genus Viscum. The berry contains a glutinous substance, and the shrub is said to be propagated by birds. This plant was held in great veneration by the Druids.

MISLI'KE, verb transitive To dislike; to disapprove; to have aversion to; as, to mislike a man or an opinion.

[For this word, dislike is generally used.]

MISLI'KE, noun Dislike; disapprobation; aversion.

MISLI'KED, participle passive Disliked; disapproved.

MISLI'KER, noun One that dislikes.

MISLI'KING, participle present tense Disliking; disapproving.

MISLIN, [See Meslin.]

MISLIVE, verb intransitive . misliv'. To live amiss. [Not used.]

MISLUCK', noun Ill luck; misfortune.

MIS'LY, adjective [See Misle and Mist.] Raining in very small drops.

MISMAN'AGE, verb transitive To manage ill; to administer improperly; as, to mismanage public affairs.

MISMAN'AGE, verb intransitive To behave ill; to conduct amiss.

MISMAN'AGED, participle passive Ill managed or conducted.

MISMAN'AGER, noun One that manages ill.

MISMAN'AGING, participle present tense Managing ill.

MISMAN'AGMENT, noun Ill or improper management; ill conduct; as the mismanagement of public or private affairs.

MISM'ARK, verb transitive To mark with the wrong token; to mark erroneously.

MISM'ARKED, participle passive Wrongly marked.

MISM'ARKING, participle present tense Marking erroneously.

MISMATCH', verb transitive To match unsuitably.

MISMATCH'ED, participle passive Unsuitably matched; ill joined.

MISMATCH'ING, participle present tense Matching in an unsuitable manner.

MISNA'ME, verb transitive To call by the wrong name.

MISNA'MED, participle passive Called by a wrong name.

MISNA'MING, participle present tense Calling by a wrong name.

MISNO'MER, noun In law, the mistaking of the true name of a person; a misnaming. [Misnosmer, as written by Blackstone, must be a corrupt orthography. In no dialect has name, Latin nomen, been written with s, unless by mistake.

MISOBE'DIENCE, noun Erroneous obedience or disobedience. [Not used.]

MISOBSERVE, verb transitive misobzerv'. To observe inaccurately; to mistake in observing.

MISOG'AMIST, noun [Gr. to hate, and marriage.] A hater of marriage.

MISOG'YNIST, noun [Gr. to hate, and woman.] A woman hater. [Unusual.]

MISOG'YNY, noun [supra.] Hatred of the female sex.

MISOPIN'ION, noun Erroneous opinion.

MISOR'DER, verb transitive To order ill; to manage erroneously.

1. To manage ill; to conduct badly.

MISOR'DER, noun Irregularity; disorderly proceedings. [We now use disorder.]

MISOR'DERLY, adjective Irregular; disorderly.

MISPELL, MISPEND, etc. [See Miss-spell, Miss-spend.]

MISPELL, MISPEND etc. [See Miss-spell, Miss-spend.]

MISPERSUA'DE, verb transitive To persuade amiss, or to lead to a wrong notion.

MISPERSUA'SION, noun A false persuasion; wrong notion or opinion.

MISPIK'EL, noun Arsenical pyrite; an ore of arsenic, containing this metal in combination with iron, sometimes found in cubic crystals, but more often without any regular form.

MISPLA'CE, verb transitive To put in a wrong place; as, the book is misplaced.

1. To place on an improper object; as, he misplaced his confidence.

MISPLA'CED, participle passive Put in a wrong place, or on an improper object.

MISPLA'CING, participle present tense Putting in a wrong place, or on a wrong object.

MISPLE'AD, verb intransitive To err in pleading.

MISPLE'ADING, participle present tense Making a mistake in pleading.

MISPLE'ADING, noun A mistake in pleading.

MISPOINT', verb transitive To point improperly; to err in punctuation.

MISPRINT', verb transitive To mistake in printing; to print wrong.

MISPRINT', noun A mistake in printing; a deviation from the copy.

MISPRINT'ED, participle passive Erroneously printed.

MISPRINT'ING, participle present tense Printing wrong.

MISPRI'SE

MISPRISION, noun misprizh'un. [supra.] Neglect; contempt.

1. In law, any high offense under the degree of capital, but nearly bordering thereon. Misprision is contained in every treason and felony. Misprisions are divided into negative and positive; negative, which consist in the concealment of something which ought to be revealed; and positive, which consist in the commission of something which ought not to be done. Misprision of treason, consists in a bare knowledge and concealment of treason, without assenting to it.

Maladministration in offices of high public trust, is a positive misprision.

1. Mistake; oversight; contempt. [Not in use.]

MISPRISION, n. misprizh'un. [supra.] Neglect; contempt.

MISPRI'ZE, verb transitive

1. To mistake.

2. To slight or undervalue.

O for those vanish'd hours, so much mispris'd.

MISPROCEE'DING, noun Wrong or irregular proceeding.

MISPROFESS', verb transitive To make a false profession; to make pretensions to skill which is not possessed.

MISPRONOUNCE, verb transitive mispronouns'. To pronounce erroneously; as, to mispronounce a word, a name, etc.

MISPRONOUNCE, verb intransitive mispronouns'. To speak incorrectly.

MISPRONUNCIA'TION, noun A wrong or improper pronunciation.

MISPROPO'RTION, verb transitive To err in proportioning one thing to another; to join without due proportion.

MISPROUD', v. Vitiously proud. [Not used.]

MISQUOTA'TION, noun An erroneous quotation; the act of quoting wrong.

MISQUO'TE, verb transitive To quote erroneously; to cite incorrectly.

MISQUO'TED, participle passive Incorrectly quoted or cited.

MISQUO'TING, participle present tense Quoting or citing erroneously.

MISRA'TE, verb transitive To rate erroneously; to estimate falsely.

MISRECI'TAL, noun An inaccurate recital.

MISRECI'TE, verb transitive To recite erroneously.

MISRECI'TED, participle passive Recited incorrectly.

MISRECI'TING, participle present tense Reciting erroneously.

MISRECK'ON, verb transitive To reckon or compute wrong.

MISRECK'ONED, participle passive Reckoned or computed erroneously.

MISRECK'ONING, participle present tense Reckoning wrong; and as a noun, an erroneous computation.

MISRELA'TE, verb transitive To relate falsely or inaccurately.

MISRELA'TED, participle passive Erroneously related or told.

MISRELA'TING, participle present tense Relating or telling erroneously.

MISRELA'TION, noun Erroneous relation or narration.

MISREMEM'BER, verb transitive To mistake in remembering; not to remember correctly.

MISREMEM'BERED, participle passive Inaccurately recollected.

MISREMEM'BERING, participle present tense Remembering inaccurately.

MISREPORT, verb transitive To report erroneously; to give an incorrect account of.

MISREPORT, noun An erroneous report; a false or incorrect account given.

MISREPORTED, participle passive Incorrectly reported.

MISREPORTING, participle present tense Reporting incorrectly.

MISREPRESENT', verb transitive To represent falsely or incorrectly; to give a false or erroneous representation, either maliciously, ignorantly or carelessly.

MISREPRESENTA'TION, noun The act of giving a false or erroneous representation.

1. A false or incorrect account given, either from mistake, carelessness or malice.

MISREPRESENT'ED, participle passive Falsely or erroneously represented.

MISREPRESENT'ER, noun One who gives a false or erroneous account.

MISREPRESENT'ING, participle present tense 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.]

MISREPU'TE, verb transitive To have in wrong estimation.

MISREPU'TED, participle passive or adjective Erroneously reputed.

MISRU'LE, noun Disorder; confusion; tumult from insubordination.

Enormous riot and misrule--

1. Unjust domination.

MISRU'LY, adjective Unruly; ungovernable; turbulent.

MISS, noun

1. The title of a young woman or girl; as little masters and misses.

2. A kept mistress; a prostitute retained; a concubine.

MISS, verb transitive [Latin mitto, misi; omitto, omisi.]

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.

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 Samuel 25:15.

5. To be without; as, we cannot miss him.

6. To omit; to pass by; to go without; to fail to have; as, to miss a meal of victuals.

She would never miss one day

A walk so fine, a sight so gay.

7. To perceive the want of.

What by me thou hast lost, thou least shalt miss

He who has a firm sincere friend, may want all the rest without missing them.

8. To fail of seeing or finding.

MISS, verb intransitive 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.

1. Not to succeed; to fail.

Men observe when things hit, and not when they miss--

2. To fail; to miscarry, as by accident.

The invention all admired, and each, how he

To be the inventor missed.

3. To fail to obtain, learn or find; with of.

On the least reflection, we can miss of them.

4. To fail; to mistake.

MISS, noun Loss; want.

There will be no great miss of those which are lost.

1. Mistake; error.

He did without any great miss in the hardest points of grammar. [Little used.]

2. Harm from mistake.

MIS'SAL, noun The Romish mass-book.

MISSA'Y, verb transitive To say wrong; to slander. [Little used.]

MISSA'Y, verb intransitive To speak ill.

MISSA'YING, noun Wrong expression.

MISSEE'M, verb intransitive To make a false appearance.

1. To misbecome.

MIS'SEL

MIS'SEL-BIRD, noun A species of thrush.

MIS'SELDINE, noun The mistletoe. [Not used.]

MISSEM'BLANCE, noun False resemblance.

MISSERVE, verb transitive misserv'. To serve unfaithfully.

MISSHA'PE, verb transitive [See Shape.] To shape ill; to give an ill form to; to deform.

And horribly misshapes with ugly sights.

A misshaped figure.

Misshapen mountains.

MISSHA'PED

MISSHA'PEN, participle passive Ill formed; deformed; ugly.

MIS'SILE, adjective [Latin missilis, from missus, sent; mitto, to send.]

Thrown or sent, or that may be thrown. A missile weapon is one that is thrown by the hand, or from an engine in war, in distinction from such as are held or retained in the hand, or fixed. An arrow, a dart, a javelin, a stone, a bullet, a bomb, are missile weapons.

MISS'ING, participle present tense [from miss.] Failing to hit, to reach or to find; discovering to be wanting.

1. adjective Lost; absent from the place where it was expected to be found; wanting. My horse is missing; my pen or my book is missing

For a time caught up to God, as once

Moses was in the mount, and missing long.

MIS'SION, noun [Latin missio, from mitto, to send.]

1. A sending or being sent, usually the latter; a being sent or delegated by authority, with certain powers for transacting business; commission; as sent on a foreign mission

How to begin, how to accomplish best

His end of being on earth, and mission high.

2. Persons sent; any number of persons appointed by authority to perform any service; particularly, the persons sent to propagate religion, or evangelize the heathen. The societies for propagating the gospel have missions in almost every country. Last week a mission sailed for the Sandwich isles. We have domestic missions and foreign missions.

3. Dismission; discharge from service; a Roman use of the word; in English, obsolete.

4. Faction; party. [Not in use.]

MIS'SIONARY, noun One sent to propagate religion. Christian missionaries are called missionaries of the cross.

MIS'SIONARY, adjective Pertaining to mission; as a missionary meeting; a missionary fund.

MISSIONER, for missionary, is not used.

MIS'SIVE, adjective Such as is sent; as a letter missive

1. Thrown or sent, or such as may be sent; as a missive weapon.

MIS'SIVE, noun A letter sent, or messenger.

MISSPE'AK, verb intransitive [See Speak.] To err or mistake in speaking.

MISSPE'AK, verb transitive To utter wrong.

MISSPELL'ED

MISSPELL'ING, participle present tense Spelling wrong.

MISSPELL'ING, noun A wrong spelling; false orthography.

MISSPELT', participle passive Spelled wrong, or with wrong letters.

MISSPEND', verb transitive To spend amiss; to waste or consume to no purpose, or to a bad one; as, to misspend time or money; to misspend life.

1. To waste.

The genial moisture due

To apples, otherwise misspends itself.

MISSPEND'ER, noun One that consumes prodigally or improperly.

MISSPEND'ING, participle passive Spending to no purpose, or to a bad one.

MISSPENSE, noun misspens'. A spending improperly; a wasting.

MISSPENT', participle present tense Ill spent; expended or consumed to no purpose, or to a bad one; as misspent time or life.

MISSPO'KE

MISSPO'KEN, participle passive Uttered or spoken amiss.

MIS'SY, noun The sulphate of iron, having lost the water of its crystallization, is called sori; more thoroughly calcined, it is yellow, and called missy

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

MISTA'KER, noun One that mistakes or misunderstands.

MISTA'KING, participle present tense Making a mistake; erring from the truth; misconceiving.

MISTA'KING, noun An error; a mistake.

MISTA'KINGLY, adverb Erroneously; falsely.

MISTAUGHT', participle passive Wrongly taught; as a mistaught youth.

MISTE'ACH, verb transitive [See Teach.] To teach wrong; to instruct erroneously.

MISTE'ACHING, participle present tense Instructing erroneously.

MISTELL', verb transitive [See Tell.] To tell erroneously.

MISTEM'PER, verb transitive To temper ill; to disorder.

MISTEM'PERED, participle passive Tempered ill.

MIS'TER, noun The common title of address to gentlemen, and to men of all classes. In writing, it is expressed by the abbreviation Mr.

MIS'TER, verb transitive To occasion loss. [Not in use.]

MISTERM', verb transitive To term or denominate erroneously.

MISTERM'ED, participle passive Wrongly denominated.

MISTERM'ING, participle present tense Denominating erroneously.

MISTHINK', verb intransitive [See Think.] To think wrong. [Little used.]

MISTHOUGHT', participle passive of misthink. Thought wrong of.

Adam, misthought of her to thee so dear.

MISTI'ME, verb transitive To time wrong; not to adapt to the time.

MISTI'ME, verb intransitive To neglect the proper time.

MISTI'MED, participle passive Ill timed; done at a wrong time.

MISTI'MING, participle present tense Ill timing; doing unseasonably.

MIS'TION, noun [Latin mistus, mixtus. See Mix.]

1. A state of being mixed.

2. Mixture; a mingling.

MISTI'TLE, verb transitive To call by a wrong title or name.

MISTI'TLED, participle passive Wrongly named.

MISTLE, verb intransitive mis'l. [from mist.]

To fall in very fine drops, as rain. [See Missle.]

MISTLETOE

MIST'LIKE, adjective Resembling mist.

MISTOLD, participle passive Erroneously told. [See Tell.]

MISTOOK', preterit tense of mistake.

MISTRA'IN, verb transitive To train or educate amiss.

MISTRANSLA'TE, verb transitive To translate erroneously.

MISTRANSLA'TED, participle passive Erroneously rendered into another language.

MISTRANSLA'TING, participle present tense Translating incorrectly.

MISTRANSLA'TION, noun An erroneous translation or version.

MIS'TRESS, noun [Latin magistra.]

1. A woman who governs; correlative to servant, slave, or subject.

My mistress here lies murdered in her bed.

2. The female head of a family.

3. That which governs; a sovereign. Rome was mistress of the world.

4. One that commands, or has possession and sovereignty. The queen is mistress of the Indies.

5. A female who is well skilled in any thing; as, she is mistress of arithmetic.

6. A woman teacher; an instructress of a school.

7. A woman beloved and courted.

8. A woman in keeping for lewd purposes.

9. A term of contemptuous address.

MIS'TRESS, verb transitive To wait upon a mistress; to be courting.

MISTRUST', noun Want of confidence or trust; suspicion.

MISTRUST', verb transitive To suspect; to doubt; to regard with jealousy or suspicion.

Fate her own book mistrusted at the sight.

MISTRUST'ED, participle passive Suspected.

MISTRUST'FUL, adjective Suspicious; doubting; wanting confidence in.

MISTRUST'FULLY, adverb With suspicion or doubt.

MISTRUST'FULNESS, noun Suspicion; doubt.

MISTRUST'ING, participle present tense Suspecting; having no confidence in.

MISTRUST'INGLY, adverb With distrust or suspicion.

MISTRUST'LESS, adjective Unsuspecting; unsuspicious.

MISTU'NE, verb transitive To tune wrong or erroneously; to put out of tune.

MISTURN', verb transitive To pervert. [Not used.]

MISTU'TOR, verb transitive To instruct amiss.

MISUNDERSTAND', verb transitive To misconceive; to mistake; to take in a wrong sense.

MISUNDERSTAND'ING, participle present tense Mistaking the meaning.

MISUNDERSTAND'ING, noun Misconception; mistake of the meaning; error.

1. Disagreement; difference; dissension; sometimes a softer name for quarrel.

MISUNDERSTOOD', participle passive Misconceived; mistaken; understood erroneously.

MISUSAGE, noun misyu'zage. Ill usage; abuse.

MISUSE, verb transitive misyu'ze.

1. To treat or use improperly; to use to a bad purpose.

2. To abuse; to treat ill.

MISUSE, noun misyu'se. Ill treatment; improper use; employment to a bad purpose; as the misuse of mercies.

1. Abuse; ill treatment.

2. Wrong application; misapplication; erroneous use; as the misuse of words.

MISUSED, participle passive misyu'zed. Improperly used or applied; misapplied; misemployed; abused.

MISUSING, participle present tense misyu'zing. Using improperly; abusing; misapplying.

MISVOUCH', verb transitive To vouch falsely.

MISWEAR, verb transitive To swear ill.

MISWED', verb transitive To wed improperly.

MISWED'DED, participle passive Ill matched.

MISWEE'N, verb intransitive To misjudge; to distrust.

MISWEND', verb intransitive To go wrong.

MISWRI'TE, verb transitive [See Write.] To write incorrectly.

MISWROUGHT, adjective misraut'. Badly wrought.

MISY. [See Missy.]

MISZEALOUS, adjective miszel'ous. Actuated by false zeal.

MITE, noun [Heb. small.]

1. A very small insect of the genus Acarus.

2. In Scripture, a small piece of money, the quarter of a denarius, or about seven English farthings.

3. Any thing proverbially very small; a very little particle or quantity.

4. The twentieth part of a grain.

MITEL'LA, noun A plant.

MI'TER, noun

1. A sacerdotal ornament worn on the head by bishops and certain abbots, on solemn occasions.

2. In architecture, an angle of 45 degrees.

3. In Irish history, a sort of base money or coin.

4. Figuratively, the dignity of bishops or abbots.

MI'TER, verb transitive To adorn with a miter

1. To unite at an angle of 45 degrees.

MI'TERED, participle present tense or adjective Wearing a miter.

1. Honored with the privilege of wearing a miter.

2. Cut or joined at an angle of 45 degrees.

MITHIC. [See Mythic.]

MITH'RIDATE, noun In pharmacy, an antidote against poison, or a composition in form of an electuary, supposed to serve either as a remedy or a preservative against poison. It takes its name from Mithridates, king of Pontus, the inventor.

MITHRIDAT'IC, adjective Pertaining to mithridate, or its inventor, Mithridates.

MIT'IGABLE, adjective That may be mitigated.

MIT'IGANT, adjective [Latin mitigans, mitigo, from mitis, mild.]

1. Softening; lenient; lenitive.

2. Diminishing; easing; as pain.

MIT'IGATE, verb transitive [Latin . mitigo, from mitis, soft, mild.]

1. To alleviate, as suffering; to assuage; to lessen; as, to mitigate pain or grief.

And counsel mitigates the greatest smart.

2. To make less severe; as, to mitigate doom.

3. To abate; to make less rigorous; to moderate; as, to mitigate cold; to mitigate the severity of the season.

4. To temper; to moderate; to soften in harshness or severity.

We could wish that the rigor of their opinions were allayed and mitigated.

5. To calm; to appease; to moderate; as, to mitigate the fierceness of party.

6. To diminish; to render more tolerable; as, to mitigate the evils or calamities of life; to mitigate punishment.

7. To reduce in amount or severity; as, to mitigate a penalty.

8. To soften, or make mild and accessible; in a literal sense.

It was this opinion which mitigated kings into companions. [Unusual.]

MIT'IGATED, participle passive Softened; alleviated; moderated; diminished.

MIT'IGATING, participle present tense Softening; alleviating; tempering; moderating; abating.

MITIGA'TION, noun [Latin mitigatio.] Alleviation; abatement or diminution of any thing painful, harsh, severe, afflictive or calamitous; as the mitigation of pain, grief, rigor, severity, punishment or penalty.

MIT'IGATIVE, adjective Lenitive; tending to alleviate.

MIT'IGATOR, noun He or that which mitigates.

MIT'TEN, noun

1. A cover for the hand, worn to defend it from cold or other injury. It differs from a glove, in not having a separate cover for each finger.

2. A cover for the arm only.

To handle without mittens, to treat roughly; a popular colloquial phrase.

MIT'TENT, adjective [Latin mittens, from mitto, to send.]

Sending forth; emitting. [Not used.]

MIT'TIMUS, noun [Latin we send.] In law, a precept or command in writing, under the hand or hand and seal of a justice of the peace or other proper officer, directed to the keeper of a prison, requiring him to imprison an offender; a warrant of commitment to prison.

1. A writ for removing records from one court to another.

MITU, noun A fowl of the turkey kind, found in Brazil.

MI'TY, adjective [from mite.] Having or abounding with mites.

MIX, verb transitive preterit tense and participle passive mixed or mixt. [Latin misceo, mixtum; Heb. to mix ]

1. To unite or blend promiscuously two or more ingredients into a mass or compound; applied both to solids and liquids; as, to mix flour and salt; to mix wines.

2. To join; to associate; to unite with in company.

Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people. Hosea 7.

3. To join; to mingle.

You mix your sadness with some fear.

4. To unite with a crowd or multitude.

MIX, verb intransitive To become united or blended promiscuously in a mass or compound. Oil and water will not mix without the intervention of a third substance.

1. To be joined or associated; as, to mix with the multitude, or to mix in society.

MIX'ED, participle passive United in a promiscuous mass or compound; blended; joined; mingled; associated.

1. adjective Promiscuous; consisting of various kinds or different things; as a mixed multitude.

MIX'EN, noun A dunghill; a laystall.

MIX'ER, noun One who mixes or mingles.

MIX'ING, participle present tense Uniting or blending in a mass or compound; joining in company; associating.

MIXTILIN'EAL

MIXTILIN'EAR, adjective [Latin mixtus, mixed, and linea, line.]

Containing a mixture of lines, right, curved, etc.

MIXTILIN'EAR, a. [L. mixtus, mixed, and linea, line.]

Containing a mixture of lines, right, curved, &c.

MIX'TION, noun [Latin mixtus.] Mixture; promiscuous assemblage.

MIXT'LY, adverb With mixture.

MIX'TURE, noun [Latin mixtura.] The act of mixing, or state of being mixed. Compounds are made by the mixture of different substances.

1. A mass or compound, consisting of different ingredients blended without order. In this life there is a mixture of good and evil. Most wines in market are base mixtures.

2. The ingredient added and mixed. Cicero doubted whether it is possible for a community to exist without a prevailing mixture of piety in its constitution.

3. In pharmacy, a liquid medicine which receives into its composition not only extracts, salts and other substances dissolvable in water, but earths, powders and other substances not dissolvable.

4. In chimistry, mixture differs from combination. In mixture the several ingredients are blended without an alteration of the substances, each of which still retains its own nature and properties. In combination, the substances unite by chimical attraction, and losing their distinct properties, they form a compound differing in its properties from either of the ingredients.

MIZ'MAZE, noun A cant word for a maze or labyrinth.

MIZZEN, noun miz'n. In sea-language, the aftermost of the fixed sails of a ship, extended sometimes by a gaff, and sometimes by a yard which crosses the mast obliquely.

MIZ'ZLE, verb intransitive To mistle. [See Mistle.]

MIZ'ZY, noun A bog or quagmire.