mistaken 
2. Erroneously entertained, apprehended, re- 
ceived, or done; marked or characterized by 
mistake ; erroneous ; incorrect ; blundering : 
said of acts, statements, notions, etc. 
The fallacious and mistaken reports of sense. 
Smith, Sermons, II. ii. 
Lycurgus . . . founded his whole system on a mistaken 
principle. Macaulay, Mitford's Hist. Greece. 
Nothing can be move mistaken than the comparison made 
by some of those who have regretted Paganism (Schiller, 
for instance, in " The Gods of Greece "), between the mel- 
ancholy of Christianity and the melancholy which is the 
mark of old age. J. R. Seeley, Sat. Religion, p. 145. 
3. Having made a mistake ; laboring under a 
mistake; in error: said of persons. 
She, mistaken, seems to dote on me. 
Shak., T. N., ii. 2. 36. 
I believe him mistaken, altogether mistaken, in the es- 
timates which he has expressed. 
D. Webster, Speech, May 7, 1834. 
mistakenly (mis-ta'kn-li), adv. By mistake ; 
erroneously. 
mistaker (mis-ta'ker), . One who mistakes 
or misunderstands. 
The well-meaning ignorance of some mistakers. 
Bp. Hall, Apol., Adv't to the Header. 
mistaking! (mis-ta'king), n. [Verbal n. of 
mistake, v.] An error; a mistake. 
I have done thee worthy service, 
Told thee no lies, made thee no mistakinys. 
Shak., Tempest i- 2. 248. 
The way to find out the Truth is by others' mistaking*. 
Selden, Table-Talk, p. 112. 
mistakinglyt (mis-ta'king-H), adv. Errone- 
ously; falsely. 
mist-bow (mist'bo), n. A white rainbow ob- 
served at times when mist or fog prevails ; a 
fog-bow. 
mist-colored (mist'kul"ord), a. Colorless or 
nearly so : as, a mist-colored leader made of silk- 
worm gut (a favorite leader with anglers). 
misteach (mis-tech'), v. t. ; pret. and pp. mia- 
taiight, ppr. misteaching. [< ME. mistechen, < 
AS. mistcecan, misteach, < mis- + taican, teach : 
see mis- 1 and teach.'] To teach wrongly; in- 
struct erroneously. 
More shame for those who have mistaught them. 
JUUton, On Def. of Humb. Remonst. 
mistelt, n. See mistic 1 . 
mistellt (mis-tel'), v. t. [= D. mistellen; as 
mis- 1 + teU."] To tell or number incorrectly. 
Their prayers are by the dozen, when, if they miss-tell 
one, they thinke all the rest lost. 
Breton, Strange Newes, p. 5. (Dairies.) 
That Bizantian Prince that did mis-tell 
A four-fould Essence in the onely One. 
Sylvester, Triumph of Faith, i. 35. 
mistempert (mis-tem'per), v. t. [< mis- 1 + tem- 
per, v.] To disturb ; disorder. 
This inundation of mistemper'd humour 
Rests by you only to be qualified. 
Shak., K. John, v. 1. 12. 
mistentt, ". t. [ME. mysetenten ; appar. < mis- 1 
+ tenten, tempt, try: see tempt.] To mistake. 
Syr O e haf your tale myse-tente, 
To say your perle is al awaye, 
That is in cofer, so comly clente. 
Alliterative Poems (ed. Morris), i. 257. 
mister 1 (mis'ter), n. [Also dial, niester, meas- 
ter, < ME. maister, mayster, etc., whence also E. 
master, of which mister is merely a variant form, 
now differentiated in use: see master 1 .'} 1. 
Master: a word which has lost its real mean- 
ing, and become a mere conventional title: 
nearly always written in the abbreviated form 
Mr. (a) Prefixed to the name of a gentleman, or now, by 
extension, to that of any man, as a conventional title of 
address or mention. [The abbreviation Mr. (also M.), as 
found in books of the sixteenth century and for some time 
later, is to be read M aster. (Compare master*, n., 7.) Mister 
is simply a weaker form of Master.] 
Has his majesty dubb'd me a Knight for you to make 
me a Mister? Foote, Mayor of Garratt, i. 
You will come down, Mister Bertram, as my guest to 
Wycombe Hall? 
Mrs. Browning, Lady Geraldine's Courtship, xiii. 
(b) Prefixed to the official designation of certain officers or 
dignitaries in formal address, as Mr. President, Mr. Sec- 
retary, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Clerk. 
You, Mr. Dean, frequent the great. 
Pope, Imit. of Horace, II. vi. 113. 
2. Sir : used alone, in address, when the man's 
name is not known : as, mister, you've dropped 
your gloves; have a paper, mister f [The disap- 
pearance of master and mister, and the restricted and ob- 
solescent use of sir, as an unaccompanied term of address, 
and the like facts with regard to mistress, Mrs. , and madam 
tend to deprive the English language of polite terms of 
address to strangers. Sir and madam or ma'am as direct 
terms of address are old-fashioned and obsolescent in or- 
dinary speech, and mister and lady in this use are confined 
almost entirely to the lower classes.] 
3800 
mister 2 (mis'ter), n. [< ME. mister, myster, 
mi/stir, mistcre, misteii; mester, meister, mestier, 
< OF. mestier, mester, trade, calling, occupation, 
need, F. metier = Sp. mester = Pg. mester = It. 
mestiere, trade, calling, occupation, < L. minis- 
terium, service, office, ministry: see ministry. 
Cf. mistery" 2 , mystery 2 .'] If. Trade ; mechanical 
occupation; craft. 
In youthe he lerned hadde a good mister, 
He was a wel good wrighte, a carpenter. 
Chaucer, Gen. Prol. to C. T., 1. 613. 
Of hem that ben artificers, 
Whiche vsen craftes and misters, 
Whose arte is cleped mechanike. 
Oower, Conf. Amant., vii. 
2f. Condition in life ; fortune. 
I noot which hath the wofullere mester. 
Chaucer, Knight's Tale, 1. 482. 
3f. Manner; kind; sort. 
But telleth me what mister men ye been. 
Chaucer, Knight's Tale. 1. 852. 
What mister thing is this? let me survey it. 
Beau, and Fl., Little French Lawyer, ii. 3. 
4. Need ; necessity ; anything necessary. [Ob- 
solete or Scotch.] 
Hit may wel be that mester were his mantyle to wassche. 
Alliterative Poems (ed. Morris), iii. 342. 
Whan he com nygh he knewe well his vncle, and saugh 
that he hadde grete myster of socoure. 
Merlin (E. E. T. S.), iii. 476. 
Warld's gear was henceforward the least of her care, nor 
was it likely to be muckle her mister. 
Scott, Heart of Mid- Lothian, xliv. 
mister 2 (mis'ter), . [< mister^, n.] I. trans. 
To occasion loss to. 
II. intrans. 1. To need; require. 
As for my name, it mistreth not to tell. 
Spenser, F. Q., III. Til. 61. 
2. To be in necessitous circumstances. 3. 
To be necessary or indispensable. 
[Obsolete or Scotch in all uses.] 
misterm (mis-term'), v. t. [< mis- 1 + term, v.] 
To designate wrongly; miscall; revile. 
World's exile is death ; then banished 
Is death mis-termed. Shak., R. and J., iii. 3. 21. 
Not mee alone did he reuile and dare to the combat, but 
glickt at Paphatchet once more, and mistermed all our 
other Poets and writers about London. 
Nash, Strange Newes (1592), sig. C 2, 8. 
mistershipt, n. A corruption of mistress-ship. 
Tamora. How now, good fellow! wouldst thou speak with 
us? 
Clown. Yes, forsooth, an your mistership be emperial. 
Shak., Tit. And., iv. 4. 40. 
misteryH, An obsolete spelling of mystery 1 . 
mistery 2 t (mis'ter-i), .. See mystery^. 
mist-flower (mist'flou"er), . A pretty com- 
posite plant, Eu- 
patorium (Cono- 
clinium) cceles- 
tinum, found in 
the United States 
from Pennsyl- 
vania and Ohio 
southward, oc- 
casionally culti- 
vated. Its cymose 
blue heads suggest 
those of Ageratum, 
but are smaller and 
not so rich. 
mistful (misf- 
ful), a. [< mist 1 
+ -fill.-] Cloud- 
ed or dimmed 
with or as if 
with mist. 
I must perforce 
compound 
With mistfid eyes, 
or they will issue 
too. 
Shak., Hen. V., iv. 6. 
[85. 
misthakelt, n. [ME. mysthakel; < mist 1 + Jialel, 
a cover: see mist 1 and hackle^. ] A covering of 
mist; a cap of clouds. 
Mist muged on the mor, malt on the mountez ; 
Vch hille hade a hatte, a myst-hakel huge. 
Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2081. 
inisthink (mis-thingk'), c. ; pret. and pp. mis- 
tlioiiffht, ppr. misthinJfing. [< ME. "mistninken, 
misthenchen; < mis- 1 + think 1 .] I. intrans. To 
think erroneously or unfavorably. 
Whan they misthinke, they lightly let it passe. 
Court of Lone, 1. 483. 
I hope your grace will not mis-think of me. 
Chapman (?), Alphonsus, Emperor of Germany, ii. 2. 
Yes, there is the note and all the parts, if I muOiink not. 
B. Jonson, Cynthia's Revels, iv. 1. 
Mist-flower (.Eupatorium ctzlestinum*. 
a, a flower. 
mistle 
Thoughts which how found they harbour in thy breast, 
Adam, misthouyht of her to thee so dear? 
MUtan, P. L., ix. 289. 
II. t trans. To think ill of; have an erroneous 
or unfavorable opinion of. 
How will the country, for these woful chances, 
Misthink the king, and not be satisfied ! 
Shak., 3 Hen. VI., ii. 6. 108. 
misthoughtt (mis-that'), n. [< mis- 1 + thought.] 
Erroneous notion; mistaken opinion. 
But I with better reason him aviz'd, 
And shew'd him how, through error and misthought 
Of our like persons, eath to be disguiz'd, 
Or his exchange or freedom might lie wrought. 
Spenser, F. Q., IV. viii. 58. 
misthriye (mis-thriv'), v. i.; pret. misthrorc 
(sometimes misthrived), pp. misthriren, ppr. mis- 
thriving. [< mis- 1 + thrive.] To thrive badly. 
Worcester. 
misthrow (mis-thro'), v. t.; piet.misthrew, pp. 
misthrown, ppr. misthrowing. [< ME. misthrow- 
e ; < mis- 1 + throw 1 , v.] To cast wrongly or 
amiss. 
Hast thou thyn eie ought [var. nought] misthrowe > 
Oower, Conf. Amant, i. 
mistic (mis'tik), n. [Found only in the errone- 
ous spelling mystick; < Sp. mistico : see mistico.] 
Same as mistico. 
misticalt, a. An obsolete spelling of mystical. 
mistico (mis'ti-ko), n. [< Sp. mistico = Cat. 
mistic, mistech, a vessel (see def.), < Ar. mestah, 
lit. a flat orplane ; cf. mosnttah, adj., flat, plane, 
satli, a flat roof.] A small coasting-vessel, in 
character between a xebec and a felucca, used 
in the Mediterranean trade. 
mistidet (mis-tid'), v. i. [< ME. mistidcn, < AS. 
mistidan, turn out ill, < mis- + tidan, happen: 
see mis- 1 and tide.] 1. To betide amiss or ill : 
happen unfortunately. 2. To suffer misfor- 
tune. 
Atte laste he shal mishappe and misttd?,. 
Chaucer, Tale of Melibeus. 
mistigris (mis'ti-gris), . [< F. mistigri, the 
knave of clubs; origin obscure.] In a variety 
of the game of poker, an additional card to which 
the holder can give the value of any card not 
already in his hand. The American Hoyle. 
mistiheadt (mis'ti-hed), n. [< misty 1 + -head.] 
Uncertainty; obscurity; mystery. 
What meneth this? what is this mystihede? 
Chaucer, Complaint of Mars, 1. 224. 
mistily (mis'ti-li), adv. [< ME. mistily; < misty 1 
+ -ly*.] In a misty manner ; dimly ; obscurely. 
Philosophres speken so mistily 
In this craft that men can not come therby. 
Chaucer, Canon's Yeoman's Tale, 1. 383. 
mistimet, . t. [< ME. mystymen; < mis- 1 + time 1 .] 
To time wrongly ; say or do inopportunely or 
out of season. 
Golden words, but mistimed above twelve hundred years. 
Milman. 
mistimed (mis-tlmd'), a. Ill-timed; ill-adapted 
or unsuited to the occasion or circumstances ; 
inopportune ; unseasonable. 
This mistimed vaunt. Scott. 
Millions will have been uselessly squandered, and all 
because of mistimed economy and crass stupidity. 
Fortnightly Rev., N. S., XL. 405. 
mistiness (mis'ti-nes), . A condition of being 
misty; obscurity: as, mistiness of weather; 
mistiness of ideas. 
For the mistiness scattereth and breaketh suddenly. 
Bacon, Nat. Hist., 91. 
mistiont, n. Same as mixtion. 
Both bodies do, by the new texture resulting from their 
mistion, produce color. Boyle, Colours. 
mistitle (mis-ti'tl), v. t.; pret. and pp. mistitlecl, 
ppr. mistitling. [< mis- 1 + title, v.] To call by 
a wrong title or name. 
Buchanan writes as if Ethelfrid, assisted by Keaulin, 
whom he mistitles King of East-Saxons, had before this 
time a battel with Aidan. Milton, Hist. Eng., iv. 
(mis'l), n. [Also mistel; < ME. mistle, 
mistil, < AS. mistel, bird-lime, mistletoe (L. vis- 
eus) (also in comp. dcmistel, 'oak-mistle,' and 
m isteltdn,Tmstletoe), also basil (L. ocimum) (also 
in comp. eorthmistel, ' earth-mistle,' basil) (= 
MD. mistel = OHG. mistil, MHG. G. mistel = Icel. 
mistil = Sw. Dan. mistel, mistletoe); prob., with 
formative -el, < "mist, bird-lime, glue, = OD. 
mest, mist, bird-lime, glue, also dung, D. mesf. 
dung: seemist 1 . Hence, in comp., mistUthrusli . 
mistletoe.] 1. Bird-lime. 2. Mistletoe. 
If snowe do continue, sheepe hardly that fare 
Crave mistle and ivie for them for to spare. 
Tusser, Husbandry. (Latham.) 
Migtle, which groweth upon apple-trees and crab-trees, 
is a great number of white or yealow berries, viscum. 
Withnlx, Diet. (ed. 1608), p. 96. (\ares.) 
