Chapter 988

Mister <Xpage=932>

Mis"ter , v. i. To be needful or of use. [Obs.]

As for my name, it mistereth not to tell. Spenser.

Misterm <Xpage=932>

Mis*term" (?) , v. t. To call by a wrong name; to miscall.

Mistery <Xpage=932>

Mis"ter*y (?) , n. See Mystery , a trade.

Mistful <Xpage=932>

Mist"ful (?) , a. Clouded with, or as with, mist.

Misthink <Xpage=932>

Mis*think" (?) , v. i. [See Think .] To think wrongly. [Obs.] "Adam misthought of her."

Milton.

Misthink <Xpage=932>

Mis*think" , v. t. To have erroneous thoughts or judgment of; to think ill of. [Obs.]

Shak.

Misthought <Xpage=932>

Mis*thought" (?) , n. Erroneous thought; mistaken opinion; error. [Obs.]

Spenser.

Misthrive <Xpage=932>

Mis*thrive" (?) , v. i. To thrive poorly; to be not thrifty or prosperous. [Obs.]

Misthrow <Xpage=932>

Mis*throw" (?) , v. t. To throw wrongly.

Mistic, Mistico <Xpage=932>

Mis"tic (?) , Mis"ti*co (?) , n. [Sp. m\'a1stico .] A kind of small sailing vessel used in the Mediterranean. It is rigged partly like a xebec, and partly like a felucca.

Mistide <Xpage=932>

Mis*tide" (?) , v. i. [AS. mist\'c6dan . See Tide .] To happen or come to pass unfortunately; also, to suffer evil fortune. [Obs.]

Mistigris, Mistigri <Xpage=932>

Mis`ti`gris" (?) , Mis`ti`gri" , n. [F. mistigri .] A variety of the game of poker in which the joker is used, and called mistigris or mistigri .

Mistihead <Xpage=932>

Mist"i*head (?) , n. Mistiness. [Obs.]

Mistily <Xpage=932>

Mist"i*ly , adv. With mist; darkly; obscurely.

Mistime <Xpage=932>

Mis*time" (?) , v. t. [AS. mist\'c6main to turn out ill.] To time wrongly; not to adapt to the time.

Mistiness <Xpage=932>

Mist"i*ness (?) , n. State of being misty.

Mistion <Xpage=932>

Mis"tion (?) , n. [L. mistio , mixtio . See Mix , and cf. Mixtion .] Mixture. [Obs.]

Mistitle <Xpage=932>

Mis*ti"tle (?) , v. t. To call by a wrong title.

Mistle <Xpage=932>

Mis"tle (?) , v. i. [Eng. mist . See Misle , and Mizzle .] To fall in very fine drops, as rain.

Mistletoe <Xpage=932>

Mis"tle*toe (?) , n. [AS. mistelt\'ben ; mistel mistletoe + t\'ben twig. AS. mistel is akin of D., G., Dan. & Sw. mistel , OHG. mistil , Icel. mistil teinn; and AS. t\'ben to D. teen , OHG. zein , Icel. teinn , Goth. tains . Cf. Missel .] (Bot.) A parasitic evergreen plant of Europe (Viscum album) , bearing a glutinous fruit. When found upon the oak, where it is rare, it was an object of superstitious regard among the Druids. A bird lime is prepared from its fruit. [Written also misletoe , misseltoe , and mistleto .]

Lindley. Loudon.

&hand; The mistletoe of the United States is Phoradendron flavescens , having broader leaves than the European kind. In different regions various similar plants are called by this name.

Mistonusk <Xpage=932>

Mis"to*nusk (?) , n. [From the Indian name.] (Zo\'94l.) The American badger.

Mistook <Xpage=932>

Mis*took" (?) , imp. & obs. p. p. of Mistake .

Mistradition <Xpage=932>

Mis`tra*di"tion (?) , n. A wrong tradition. "Monsters of mistradition ."

Tennyson.

Mistrain <Xpage=932>

Mis*train" (?) , v. t. To train amiss.

Mistral <Xpage=932>

Mis"tral (?) , n. [F., fr. Proven\'87al.] A violent and cold northwest wind experienced in the Mediterranean provinces of France, etc.

Mistranslate <Xpage=932>

Mis`trans*late" (?) , v. t. To translate erroneously.

Mistranslation <Xpage=932>

Mis`trans*la"tion (?) , n. Wrong translation.

Mistransport <Xpage=932>

Mis`trans*port" (?) , v. t. To carry away or mislead wrongfully, as by passion. [Obs.]

Bp. Hall.

Mistreading <Xpage=932>

Mis*tread"ing (?) , n. Misstep; misbehavior. "To punish my mistreadings ."

Shak.

Mistreat <Xpage=932>

Mis*treat" (?) , v. t. To treat amiss; to abuse.

Mistreatment <Xpage=932>

Mis*treat"ment (?) , n. Wrong treatment.

Mistress <Xpage=932>

Mis"tress (?) , n. [OE. maistress , OF. maistresse , F. ma\'8ctresse , LL. magistrissa , for L. magistra , fem. of magister . See Master , Mister , and cf. Miss a young woman.] 1. A woman having power, authority, or ownership; a woman who exercises authority, is chief, etc.; the female head of a family, a school, etc.

The late queen's gentlewoman! a knight's daughter! To be her mistress ' mistress ! Shak.

2. A woman well skilled in anything, or having the mastery over it.

A letter desires all young wives to make themselves mistresses of Wingate's Arithmetic. Addison.

3. A woman regarded with love and devotion; she who has command over one's heart; a beloved object; a sweetheart. [Poetic]

Clarendon.

4. A woman filling the place, but without the rights, of a wife; a concubine; a loose woman with whom one consorts habitually.

Spectator.

5. A title of courtesy formerly prefixed to the name of a woman, married or unmarried, but now superseded by the contracted forms, Mrs ., for a married, and Miss , for an unmarried, woman.

Now Mistress Gilpin (careful soul). Cowper.

6. A married woman; a wife. [Scot.]

Several of the neighboring mistresses had assembled to witness the event of this memorable evening. Sir W. Scott.

7. The old name of the jack at bowls.

Beau. & Fl.

To be one's own mistress , to be exempt from control by another person.

Mistress <Xpage=932>

Mis"tress , v. i. To wait upon a mistress; to be courting. [Obs.]

Donne.

Mistressship <Xpage=932>

Mis"tress*ship , n. 1. Female rule or dominion.

2. Ladyship, a style of address; -- with the personal pronoun. [Obs.]

Massinger.

Mistrial <Xpage=932>

Mis*tri"al (?) , n. (Law) A false or erroneous trial; a trial which has no result.

Mistrist <Xpage=932>

Mis*trist" (?) , v. t. To mistrust. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Mistrow <Xpage=932>

Mis*trow" (?) , v. i. To think wrongly. [Obs.]

Mistrust <Xpage=932>

Mis*trust" (?) , n. Want of confidence or trust; suspicion; distrust.

Milton.

Mistrust <Xpage=932>

Mis*trust" , v. t. 1. To regard with jealousy or suspicion; to suspect; to doubt the integrity of; to distrust.

I will never mistrust my wife again. Shak.

2. To forebode as near, or likely to occur; to surmise.

By a divine instinct, men's minds mistrust Ensuing dangers. Shak.

Mistruster <Xpage=932>

Mis*trust"er (?) , n. One who mistrusts.

Mistrustful <Xpage=932>

Mis*trust"ful (?) , a. Having or causing mistrust, suspicions, or forebodings.

Their light blown out in some mistrustful wood. Shak.

-- Mis*trust"ful*ly , adv. -- Mis*trust"ful*ness , n.

Mistrustingly <Xpage=932>

Mis*trust"ing*ly , adv. With distrust or suspicion.

Mistrustless <Xpage=932>

Mis*trust"less , a. Having no mistrust or suspicion.

The swain mistrustless of his smutted face. Goldsmith.

Mistune <Xpage=932>

Mis*tune" (?) , v. t. To tune wrongly.

Mistura <Xpage=932>

Mis*tu"ra (?) , n. [L. See Mixture .] (Med.) (a) A mingled compound in which different ingredients are contained in a liquid state; a mixture. See Mixture , n. , 4. (b) Sometimes, a liquid medicine containing very active substances, and which can only be administered by drops.

Dunglison.

Misturn <Xpage=932>

Mis*turn" (?) , v. t. To turn amiss; to pervert.

Mistutor <Xpage=932>

Mis*tu"tor (?) , v. t. To instruct amiss.

Misty <Xpage=932>

Mist"y (?) , a. [ Compar. Mistier (?) ; superl. Mistiest .] [AS. mistig . See Mist . In some senses misty has been confused with mystic .] 1. Accompained with mist; characterized by the presence of mist; obscured by, or overspread with, mist; as, misty weather; misty mountains; a misty atmosphere.

2. Obscured as if by mist; dim; obscure; clouded; as, misty sight .

The more I muse therein [theology], The mistier it seemeth. Piers Plowman.

Misunderstand <Xpage=932>

Mis*un`der*stand" (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Misunderstood (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Misunderstanding .] To misconceive; to mistake; to miscomprehend; to take in a wrong sense.

Misunderstander <Xpage=932>

Mis*un`der*stand"er (?) , n. One who misunderstands.

Sir T. More.

Misunderstanding <Xpage=932>

Mis*un`der*stand"ing , n. 1. Mistake of the meaning; error; misconception.

Bacon.

2. Disagreement; difference of opinion; dissension; quarrel. " Misunderstandings among friends."

Swift.

Misurato <Xpage=932>

Mi`su*ra"to (?) , a. [It.] (Mus.) Measured; -- a direction to perform a passage in strict or measured time.

Misusage <Xpage=932>

Mis*us"age (?) , n. [Cf. F. m\'82susage .] Bad treatment; abuse.

Spenser.

Misuse <Xpage=932>

Mis*use" (?) , v. t. [F. m\'82suser . See Mis- , prefix from French, and Use .] 1. To treat or use improperly; to use to a bad purpose; to misapply; as, to misuse one's talents .

South.

The sweet poison of misused wine. Milton.

2. To abuse; to treat ill.

O, she misused me past the endurance of a block. Shak.

Syn. -- To maltreat; abuse; misemploy; misapply.

Misuse <Xpage=932>

Mis*use" (?) , n. 1. Wrong use; misapplication; erroneous or improper use.

Words little suspected for any such misuse . Locke.

2. Violence, or its effects. [Obs.]

Shak.

Misusement <Xpage=932>

Mis*use"ment (?) , n. Misuse. [Obs.]

Misuser <Xpage=932>

Mis*us"er (?) , n. 1. One who misuses. "Wretched misusers of language."

Coleridge.

2. (Law) Unlawful use of a right; use in excess of, or varying from, one's right.

Bouvier.

Misvalue <Xpage=932>

Mis*val"ue (?) , v. t. To value wrongly or too little; to undervalue.

But for I am so young, I dread my work Wot be misvalued both of old and young. W. Browne.

Misvouch <Xpage=932>

Mis*vouch" (?) , v. t. To vouch falsely.

Miswander <Xpage=932>

Mis*wan"der (?) , v. i. To wander in a wrong path; to stray; to go astray. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Misway <Xpage=932>

Mis*way" (?) , n. A wrong way. [Obs.]

Chaucer.

Miswear <Xpage=932>

Mis*wear" (?) , v. t. To wear ill. [Obs.]

Bacon.

Miswed <Xpage=932>

Mis*wed" (?) , v. t. To wed improperly.

Misween <Xpage=932>

Mis*ween" (?) , v. i. To ween amiss; to misjudge; to distrust; to be mistaken. [Obs.]

Spenser.

Miswend <Xpage=932>

Mis*wend" (?) , v. i. To go wrong; to go astray. [Obs.] "The world is miswent ."

Gower.

Misword <Xpage=932>

Mis*word" (?) , v. t. To word wrongly; as, to misword a message, or a sentence .

Misword <Xpage=932>

Mis*word" , n. A word wrongly spoken; a cross word. [Obs.]

Sylvester. Breton.

Misworship <Xpage=932>

Mis*wor"ship (?) , n. Wrong or false worship; mistaken practices in religion.

Bp. Hall.

Such hideous jungle of misworships . Carlyle.

Misworship <Xpage=932>

Mis*wor"ship , v. t. To worship wrongly.

Bp. Hall.

Misworshiper <Xpage=932>

Mis*wor"ship*er (?) , n. One who worships wrongly.

Miswrite <Xpage=932>

Mis*write" (?) , v. t. To write incorrectly.

Miswrought <Xpage=932>

Mis*wrought" (?) , a. Badly wrought.

Bacon.

Misy <Xpage=932>

Mi"sy (?) , n. [Cf. L. misy a mineral, perh. copperas, Gr. <?/.] (Min.) An impure yellow sulphate of iron; yellow copperas or copiapite.

Misyoke <Xpage=932>

Mis*yoke" (?) , v. t. To yoke improperly.

Miszealous <Xpage=932>

Mis*zeal"ous (?) , a. Mistakenly zealous. [Obs.]

Mite <Xpage=932>

Mite (?) , n. [AS. m\'c6te mite (in sense 1); akin to LG. mite , D. mijt , G. miete , OHG. m\'c6za ; cf. Goth. maitan to cut.] 1. (Zo\'94l.) A minute arachnid, of the order Acarina, of which there are many species; as, the cheese mite , sugar mite , harvest mite , etc. See Acarina .

2. [D. mijt ; prob. the same word.] A small coin formerly circulated in England, rated at about a third of a farthing. The name is also applied to a small coin used in Palestine in the time of Christ.

Two mites , which make a farthing. Mark xii. 49.

3. A small weight; one twentieth of a grain.

4. Anything very small; a minute object; a very little quantity or particle.

For in effect they be not worth a myte . Chaucer.

Miter, Mitre <Xpage=932>

Mi"ter , Mi"tre (?) , n. [F. mitre , fr. L. mitra headband, turban, Gr. <?/.] 1. A covering for the head, worn on solemn occasions by church dignitaries. It has been made in many forms, the present form being a lofty cap with two points or peaks.

Fairholt.

2. The surface forming the beveled end or edge of a piece where a miter joint is made; also, a joint formed or a junction effected by two beveled ends or edges; a miter joint.

3. (Numis.) A sort of base money or coin.

Miter box (Carp. & Print.) , an apparatus for guiding a handsaw at the proper angle in making a miter joint; esp., a wooden or metal trough with vertical kerfs in its upright sides, for guides. -- Miter dovetail (Carp.) , a kind of dovetail for a miter joint in which there is only one joint line visible, and that at the angle. -- Miter gauge (Carp.) , a gauge for determining the angle of a miter. -- Miter joint , a joint formed by pieces matched and united upon a line bisecting the angle of junction, as by the beveled ends of two pieces of molding or brass rule, etc. The term is used especially when the pieces form a right angle. See Miter , 2. -- Miter shell (Zo\'94l.) , any one of numerous species of marine univalve shells of the genus Mitra . -- Miter square (Carp.) , a bevel with an immovable arm at an angle of 45&deg;, for striking lines on stuff to be mitered; also, a square with an arm adjustable to any angle. -- Miter wheels , a pair of bevel gears, of equal diameter, adapted for working together, usually with their axes at right angles.

Miter, Mitre <Xpage=932>

Mi"ter , Mi"tre , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Mitered (?) or Mitred ; p. pr. & vb. n. Mitering (?) or Mitring .] 1. To place a miter upon; to adorn with a miter. " Mitered locks."

Milton.

2. To match together, as two pieces of molding or brass rule on a line bisecting the angle of junction; to bevel the ends or edges of, for the purpose of matching together at an angle.

Miter, Mitre <Xpage=932>

Mi"ter , Mi"tre , v. i. To meet and match together, as two pieces of molding, on a line bisecting the angle of junction.

Miterwort <Xpage=932>

Mi"ter*wort` (?) , n. (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Mitella , -- slender, perennial herbs with a pod slightly resembling a bishop's miter; bishop's cap.

False miterwort , a white-flowered perennial herb of the United States ( Tiarella cardifolia ).

Mithic <Xpage=932>

Mith"ic (?) , a. See Mythic .

Mithras <Xpage=932>

Mi"thras (?) , n. [L., from Gr. <?/.] The sun god of the Persians.

Mithridate <Xpage=932>

Mith"ri*date (?) , n. (Med.) An antidote against poison, or a composition in form of an electuary, supposed to serve either as a remedy or a preservative against poison; an alexipharmic; -- so called from King Mithridates , its reputed inventor.

[Love is] a drop of the true elixir; no mithridate so effectual against the infection of vice. Southey.

<page="933"> Page 933

Mithridatic <Xpage=933>

Mith`ri*dat"ic (?) , a. Of or pertaining to King Mithridates, or to a mithridate.

Mitigable <Xpage=933>

Mit"i*ga*ble (?) , a. Admitting of mitigation; that may be mitigated.

Mitigant <Xpage=933>

Mit"i*gant (?) , a. [L. mitigans , p.pr. of mitigare . See Mitigate .] Tending to mitigate; mitigating; lentitive.

Johnson.

Mitigate <Xpage=933>

Mit"i*gate (?) , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Mitigated (?) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Mitigating .] [L. mitigatus , p.p. of mitigare to soften, mitigate; mitis mild, soft + the root of agere to do, drive.] 1. To make less severe, intense, harsh, rigorous, painful, etc.; to soften; to meliorate; to alleviate; to diminish; to lessen; as, to mitigate heat or cold; to mitigate grief.

2. To make mild and accessible; to mollify; -- applied to persons. [Obs.]

This opinion ... mitigated kings into companions. Burke.

Syn. -- To alleviate; assuage; allay. See Alleviate .

Mitigation <Xpage=933>

Mit`i*ga"tion (?) , n. [OE. mitigacioun , F. mitigation , fr. L. mitigatio .] The act of mitigating, or the state of being mitigated; abatement or diminution of anything painful, harsh, severe, afflictive, or calamitous; as, the mitigation of pain, grief, rigor, severity, punishment, or penalty .

Syn. -- Alleviation; abatement; relief.

Mitigative <Xpage=933>

Mit"i*ga*tive (?) , a. [L. mitigativus : cf. F. mitigatif .] Tending to mitigate; alleviating.