Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Mistake?

\Mis*take"\, v. t. To make or form amiss; to spoil in making. ``Limping possibilities of mismade human nature.'' --Mrs. Browning.
\Mis*take"\, v. t. [imp. & obs. p. p. {Mistook}; p. p. {Mistaken}; 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. --Shak. 3. To substitute in thought or perception; as, to mistake one person for another. A 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. --Shak.
\Mis*take"\, v. 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"\, n. 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}.