English

Verb

miscarry ‎(third-person singular simple present miscarries, present participle miscarrying, simple past and past participle miscarried)

1. (obsolete) To have an unfortunate accident of some kind; to be killed, or come to harm. [14th-18th c.]
2. (now rare) To go astray; to do something wrong. [from 14th c.]
3. To have a miscarriage; to abort a foetus, usually without intent to do so. [from 16th c.]
4. To fail to achieve some purpose; to be unsuccessful, to go wrong (of a business, project etc.). [from 16th c.]
5. Of a letter etc.: to fail to reach its intended recipient. [from 16th c.]
   • William Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost

     Sir Nathaniel, this Biron is one of the votaries with the king; and here he hath framed a letter to a sequent of the stranger queen's, which accidentally, or by the way of progression, hath miscarried.

   • 1817, Walter Scott, Rob Roy, II.1:

     It likewise alluded to several letters—which, it appeared to me, must have miscarried or been intercepted [...].

Derived terms

• miscarriage

Translations