Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Mistake
Mis-take′
(mĭs-tāk′)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & obs. p. p.
Mistook
(mĭs-toŏk′)
; p. p.
Mistaken
(mĭs-tāk′’n)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Mistaking
.] [Pref.
mis-
+ take
: cf. Icel. mistaka
.] 1.
To take or choose wrongly.
[Obs. or R.]
Shak.
2.
To take in a wrong sense; to misunderstand misapprehend, or misconceive;
as, to
mistake
a remark; to mistake
one’s meaning. Locke.
My father's purposes have been
mistook
. Shakespeare
3.
To substitute in thought or perception;
as, to
. mistake
one person for anotherA man may
mistake
the love of virtue for the practice of it. Johnson.
4.
To have a wrong idea of in respect of character, qualities, etc.; to misjudge.
Mistake
me not so much,To think my poverty is treacherous.
Shakespeare
Mis-take′
,Verb.
I.
To err in knowledge, perception, opinion, or judgment; to commit an unintentional error.
Servants
mistake
, and sometimes occasion misunderstanding among friends. Swift.
Mis-take′
(mĭs-tāk′)
, Noun.
1.
An apprehending wrongly; a misconception; a misunderstanding; a fault in opinion or judgment; an unintentional error of conduct.
Infallibility is an absolute security of the understanding from all possibility of
mistake
. Tillotson.
2.
(Law)
Misconception, error, which when non-negligent may be ground for rescinding a contract, or for refusing to perform it.
No mistake
, surely; without fail;
as, it will happen at the appointed time, and
. no mistake
[Low]
Syn. – Blunder; error; bull. See
Blunder
. Webster 1828 Edition
Mistake
MISTA'KE
,Verb.
T.
'Tis to mistake them costs the time and pain.
1.
To take one thing or person for another. We mistake the eloquence of self-apology for the animation of conscious integrity.
A man may mistake the love of virtue for the practice of it.
MISTA'KE
,Verb.
I.
Servants mistake, and sometimes occasion misunderstanding among friends.
MISTA'KE
,Noun.
Infallibility is an absolute security of the understanding from all possibility of mistake.
1.
A slip; a fault; an error. There is a mistake in the account or in the date.Definition 2024
mistake
mistake
English
Noun
mistake (plural mistakes)
- An error; a blunder.
- 1877, Henry Heth, quoting Robert E. Lee, in "Causes of the Defeat of Gen. Lee's Army at the Battle of GettysburgOpinions of Leading Confederate Soldiers.", Southern Historical Society Papers (1877), editor Rev. J. WM. Jones
- After it is all over, as stupid a fellow as I am can see that mistakes were made. I notice, however, that my mistakes are never told me until it is too late.
- 1877, Henry Heth, quoting Robert E. Lee, in "Causes of the Defeat of Gen. Lee's Army at the Battle of GettysburgOpinions of Leading Confederate Soldiers.", Southern Historical Society Papers (1877), editor Rev. J. WM. Jones
- (baseball) A pitch which was intended to be pitched in a hard to hit location, but instead ends up in an easy to hit place
Synonyms
- See also Wikisaurus:error
Usage notes
- Usually make a mistake. See Appendix:Collocations of do, have, make, and take
Derived terms
Translations
an error
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Verb
mistake (third-person singular simple present mistakes, present participle mistaking, simple past mistook, past participle mistaken)
- (transitive) To understand wrongly, taking one thing for another, or someone for someone else.
- Sorry, I mistook you for my brother. You look very similar.
- Shakespeare
- My father's purposes have been mistook.
- Johnson
- A man may mistake the love of virtue for the practice of it.
- (intransitive) To commit an unintentional error; to do or think something wrong.
- Jonathan Swift
- Servants mistake, and sometimes occasion misunderstanding among friends.
- Jonathan Swift
- (obsolete, rare) To take or choose wrongly.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)
Translations
To take one thing for another
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To make an error
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