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MINISTERIALIST

SYN. Official, clerical, priestly, sacerdotal, ecclesiastical.

In

In a

Ministerialist (min-is-tē'ri-al-ist), n. politics, a supporter of the ministry in office. Ministerially (min-is-te'ri-al-li), adv. ministerial manner or character. 'Ministerially or in the capacity of a mediator.' Waterland.

At

Ministering (min'is-tèr-ing), p. and a. tending and serving as a subordinate agent; serving under superior authority; performing personal services; tending.

O, Woman! in our hours of ease,
Uncertain, coy, and hard to please,
And variable as the shade

By the light quivering aspen made;
When pain and anguish wring the brow,
A ministering angel thou! Sir W. Scott.
Ministery (min'is-têr-i). Same as Ministry.
Sir K. Digby.

Ministracyt (min'is-tra-si), n. Ministration. Wickliffe.

Ministral (min'is-tral), a. Pertaining to a minister. Johnson. [Rare.]

Ministrant (min'is-trant), a. [L.ministrans, ministrantis, pp. of ministro, to minister.] Performing service as a minister; attendant on service; acting under command. Princedoms and dominations ministrant.' Milton. Ministrant (min'is-trant), n. Servant; attendant. To make all that life borrows from grace and beauty your ministrant.' Lord Lytton.

Ministration (min-is-tra'shon), n. [L. ministratio, ministrationis, from ministro, to serve. See MINISTER.] 1. The act of performing service as a subordinate agent; agency; intervention for aid or service. 'Because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.' Acts vi. 1.2. Office of a minister; service; ecclesiastical function. As soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished.' Luke i. 23. Ministrative (min'is-trāt-iv), a. Affording service; assisting.

Ministre, n. An officer of justice. Chau

cer.

Ministress (min'is-tres), n. A female that ministers. The lovely ministress of truth and good.' Akenside.

Ministry (min'is-tri), n. [L. ministerium. See MINISTER] 1. The act of ministering; service; aid; interposition; instrumentality. He directs the affairs of this world by the ordinary ministry of second causes. Atterbury.

To this culminating point, therefore, covered with dust and cobwebs, I attained, as I did to every tomb of importance in Venice, by the ministry of such ancient ladders as were to be found in the sacristan's keeping. Ruskin.

2. The office, duties, or functions of a minister of the gospel; the ecclesiastical function; service in sacred things; as, to enter the ministry.

Saint Paul was miraculously called to the ministry of the gospel. Locke.

3. Persons who compose the executive government of a state; the body of ministers of state.-4. Duration of the office of a minister, civil or ecclesiastical; as, the war with France was during the ministry of Pitt.5. Business; employment; profession. [Rare.] He abhorred the wicked ministry of arms. Dryden. Ministryship (min'is-tri-ship), n. The office of a minister; ministry. Swift. [Rare.] Minium (min'i-um), n. [L] Red oxide of lead (Pb304), produced by maintaining the protoxide (litharge) at a low red heat for some time in presence of air.

Miniver (min'i-vèr), n. [O.Fr. menuver, menuveir, menuvair, a grayish fur-menu (L minutus), small, and cair, fur.] The Siberian squirrel, which has fine white fur; also the fur itself. Spelled also Minever. Me lists not tell of ouches rare, Of marbles green, and braided hair,

And kirtles furred with miniver. Sir W. Scott. Mink (mingk), n. An American and European quadruped, allied to the polecat and weasel (Putorius Vison or Lutreola). It is semi-aquatic, burrowing on the banks of rivers and ponds, living on frogs, crayfishes, and fishes, which it pursues in the water. It exhales a strong odour of musk, and its fur is in considerable request. The European and American minks are by some regarded as distinct species. It is also called Minx and Minz-otter.

Minnesinger (min'ne-sing-êr), n. [O.G. minne, friendship, love, and singer, a singer.] One of a class of early German lyric poets and singers of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, so called from love being the chief theme of their poems. The body was com

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posed chiefly or exclusively of men of noble descent, comprising knights, nobles, princes, and even emperors. They sung their pieces to their own accompaniment on the viol, and often engaged in poetical contests for the gratification of princes and ladies of the court. Their songs are mostly in the Swabian dialect, which during the brilliant days of the house of Swabia was the court language of Germany. The most extensive collection of their songs was compiled by Rüdiger von Manesse, burgomaster of Zürich in the beginning of the fourteenth century, and consists of from 1400 to 1500 pieces. The minnesingers gave way to the mastersingers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. See MASTER-SINGER. Minnie (min'i), n. An infantine word for mother. [Scotch.]

Minnow (min'ō), n. [Perhaps from Fr. menu (L. minutus), small, or shortened from such forms as Prov. E. minim, mennam, Sc. minnan, from L. minimus, smallest; in any case from a widely-spread root meaning small. See MINOR.] A species of cyprinoid fish, the Leuciscus phoxinus (Cuv.), and the smallest British species of that family. It inhabits fresh-water streams. In America the name is given to the Phoxinus lævis.

Hear you this Triton of the minnows Shak. Minor (mi'nor), a. [L. minor, smaller; without a positive, and serving as the comparative of parvus, small. From a root min, small, found in several of the Aryan tongues; comp. A. Sax. minsian, to lessen; Dan. Sw. mindre, Icel. minni, G. minder, less; Ir. and Gael. min, small, fine; Gr. minythō, to lessen.] 1. Less; smaller: used relatively, and opposed to major; as, the minor portion of the inhabitants; the minor (as opposed to the major) axis of an ellipse; he also was guilty, but in a minor degree.

They altered this custom from cases of high concernment to the most trivial debates, the minor part ordinarily entering their protest. Clarendon.

2. Absolutely small; petty; unimportant; inconsiderable; not principal; as,minor faults; minor considerations; minor points in an argument. Petty errors and minor lapses.' Sir T. Browne. "The suppression or subtle hinting of minor details. Dr. Caird.-3. In music, less by a lesser semitone: a term used to distinguish the mode or key having a minor third above the tonic or key-note. It is also applied to all the diatonic intervals. The minor third comprises a tone and a semitone A,C; while the major third is composed of two whole tones C, E.-Minor key, in music, that key or arrangement of tones and semitones which is distinguished from the major key by having a minor third instead of a major third from the tonic or key-note. It is adapted to solemn and mournful subjects.-Minor term, in logic, the subject of the conclusion of a categorical syllogism.-Minor premiss, that which contains the minor term.

Minor (mi'nor), n. 1. A person of either sex under age; one under a certain age, and thereby legally incapacitated for the performance of certain acts; one who is under the authority of his parents or guardians, or who is not permitted by law to make contracts and manage his own property. Technically minor is a Scots law term, and when used in contradistinction to pupil signifies a person above the age of pupillarity (twelve in females, and fourteen in males) and under that of majority, which in both sexes is twenty-one years. The technical term in England is infant, but minor is used in the same sense in general literature. 'When the brisk minor pants for twenty-one.' Pope. 2. In logic, the minor term, or the minor premiss. See under the adjective.-3. In music, the minor key. See under the adjective. 4. A Minorite; a Franciscan friar. Minoratet (mi'nor-at), v.t. To diminish. Glanville.

Minoration (mi-no-rā'shon), n. A lessening; diminution.

We hope the mercies of God will consider our degenerated integrity unto some minoration of our • Sir T. Browne.

offences.

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MINT

of age, and therefore legally incapacitated for the performance of certain acts. See MINOR, n.-3. The period or interval before one is of full age, generally the period from birth until twenty-one years of age. In Scots law, the interval between pupillarity and majority. The minority of the sovereign in this country is understood to terminate at the age of eighteen years.-4. The smaller number out of a whole divided into two, as in a parliamentary division: opposed to majority. Thus we say, the minority was large; A. B. was in the minority; the minority must be ruled by the majority. Minorship (minor-ship), n. The state of being a minor.

Minotaur (min'ō-tar), n. [From Minos, an ancient Cretan lawgiver, and Gr. tauros, a bull, because the minotaur is said to have been the offspring of Pasiphaë, wife of Minos, and a bull.] In Greek myth. a monster fabled to have had the body of a man, with the head of a bull, and to have fed on human flesh, on which account Minos shut him up in the labyrinth of Dædalus, and at first exposed to him criminals, but afterwards youths and maidens yearly sent from Athens as a tribute. He was slain by Theseus. Minster (min'stër), n. [A. Sax. mynster, a monastery, the church attached to a monastery (G. münster, D. monster), from L. monasterium, a monastery. See MONASTERY.] Originally, a monastery; afterwards, the church of a monastery; a cathedral church. Both in Germany and England this title is given to several large cathedrals; as, York minster; the minster of Strasburg, &c. It is also found in the names of several places which owe their origin to a monastery; as, Westminster, Leominster, &c.

Or else were he, the holy king whose hymns Are chanted in the minster, worse than all. Tennyson. Minstrel (min'strel), n. [0. Fr. menestrel, from L.L. ministrellus, a harper, a dim. from L. minister, a servant, attendant-properly one who ministered to the amusement of the rich by music or jesting.] A singer and musical performer on instruments. In the middle ages minstrels were a class of men who subsisted by the arts of poetry and music, and sang to the harp or other instrument verses composed by themselves or others. They also appear to have accompanied their songs with mimicry and action, and to have practised such various means of diverting as were admired in those rude times, and supplied the want of more refined entertainment. These arts rendered them extremely popular and acceptable in England and the neighbouring countries. The person of the minstrel was sacred; his profession was a passport; he was 'high placed in hall, a welcome guest;' no high scene of festivity was considered complete that was not set off with the exercise of the minstrel's talents. So long as the spirit of chivalry existed the minstrels were protected and caressed, because their songs tended to do honour to the ruling passion of the times, and to encourage a martial spirit. They afterwards sank to so low a level as to be classed, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, with beggars and vagabonds. Minstrelsy (min'strel-si), n. 1.† Musical instruments used by minstrels.

For sorrow of which he broke his minstrelsy, Both harp and lute, gittern and sawtry. Chaucer. 2. The arts and occupation of minstrels; music; song, especially song accompanied by instruments.-3. A number of minstrels or musicians.

Lord William's foremost favourite he,
And chief of all his minstrelsy. Sir W. Scott.
Nodding their heads before her goes
The merry minstrelsy.
Coleridge.

4. A body of songs, or of ballad poetry suited for singing; as, the minstrelsy of the Scottish Border.

Mint (mint), n. [O.E. mint, mynt, munet, A. Sax. mynet, money, coin, mynet-smiththe, a money-smithy, a mint, from L. moneta, the mint, money, coin, from Moneta, a surname of Juno, in whose temple at Rome money was coined, from moneo, to remind; so also D. munt, G. münze, Dan. mynt, coin, are from the Latin. Money is from the same word, through the French.] 1. The place where money is coined by public authority. In Great Britain formerly there was a mint in almost every county; but the privilege of coining is now considered as a royal prerogative in this country, and as

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MIRA

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Minutelyt (min'it-li), a. Happening every minute. Hammond.

Minutely (min'it-li), adv. Every minute; with very little time intervening. As if it were minutely proclaimed in thunder from heaven.' Hammond.

Minute-man (min'it-man), n. A man ready at a minute's notice; specifically, a soldier enlisted for service wherever required, and ready to start at a minute's notice: a term used in the American revolution. Minuteness (mi-nüt'nes), n. 1. State or quality of being minute; extreme smallness, fineness, or slenderness; as, the minuteness of the particles of air or of a fluid; the minuteness of the filaments of cotton; the minuteness of details in narration.-2. Attention to small things; critical exactness; as, the minuteness of observation or distinction.

Minute-watch (min'it-woch), n. A watch that distinguishes minutes of time, or on which minutes are marked. Boyle. Minutia (mi-nu'shi-a), n.; generally used in plural, Minutiae (mi-nú'shi-e). [L., from minutus, small. See MINUTE, a.] Smaller, minor, or unimportant particulars or details.

I have always told you the consequence of attending to the minutia, where art (or imposture, as the ill-natured world would call it) is designed. Richardson. Minutiose (mi-nu'shi-ös), a. Entering into or dealing with minutiae or minute particulars.

More than once I have ventured, in print,-as in the Pall Mall Gazette and elsewhere,-an expression like 'minutiose investigations,' which seems to me to be not only unexceptionable, but much needed. Fitzedward Hall.

Minx (mingks), n. [Perhaps a sort of abbrev. form of minikin.] 1. A pert, wanton girl; a hussy; a jade; a quean; a baggage. A fine gaudy minx, that robs our counters every night, and then goes out and spends it." Dryden.

Get him to say his prayers, good Sir Toby,
Get him to pray.-My prayers, minx! Shak

2. A she-puppy.-3. An animal of the weasel
Minx-otter (mingks'ot-ér), n. The mink
family; the mink. See MINK.
Miny (mini), a. 1. Abounding with mines.
(which see).

2. Of the nature of a mine or excavation in the earth. Miny caverns.' Thomson. Miocene (mi'o-sen), a. [Gr. meion, less, and kainos, recent.] In geol. the name given by Sir Charles Lyell to a subdivision of the tertiary strata. According to him the European tertiary strata may be referred to four successive epochs, each characterized by containing a very different, proportion of fossil shells. The first or oldest he terms eocene, the second miocene, the third older pliocene, and the last or fourth newer pliocene. The terms miocene and pliocene are comparative, the first meaning less recent, and the other more recent; they express the more or less near approach which the deposits of these eras, when contrasted with each other, make to the existing creation, at least so far as the mollusca are concerned. The miocene period was found to yield 18 per cent of recent fossils; many shells belong exclusively to this period. The miocene strata contain an admixture of the extinct genera of lacustrine mammalia of the eocene series, with the earliest forms of genera which exist at the present time. The statistical test is no longer applicable, but the term is still used for those strata which overlie the eocene. Spelled also Meiocene. Miocene (mi'o-sen), n. In geol. the miocene

MIRABILARY

neck of Cetus. It appears and disappears periodically seven times in six years. Mirabilary+ (mi-rab'i-la-ri), n. A relater of, or a work on, wonders.

The use of this work... is nothing less than to give contentment to the appetite of curious and vain will, as the manner of the mirabilaries is to do. Bacon.

Mirabilis (mi-rab'i-lis), n. [L., wonderful.]
A genus of plants, nat. order Nyctaginaceae.
See Marvel of Peru under MARVEL
Mirabilite (mi-rab'i-lit), n.

[Named by
Glauber to express his surprise at its arti-
ficial production.] A name given to sul-
phate of soda, or glauber-salt, when it oc-
curs in a state of efflorescence about salt-
springs. It is used as a substitute for soda
in the manufacture of glass.
Mirablet (mir'a-bl), a. [L. mirabilis, from
miror, to wonder.] Wonderful. Shak.
Mirach (mi'rak), n. A star of the second
magnitude, in the constellation Andro-
meda. Also called ẞ Andromeda.
Miracle (mir'a-kl), n. [Fr., from L. mira-
culum, from miror, to wonder.] 1. Lit. a
wonder, or wonderful thing; something that
excites admiration or astonishment.
O, miracle of men!

See what a lovely shell,
How exquisitely minute
A miracle of design!

Shak.

Tennyson.

2. A sensible suspension or controlment of, or deviation from, the known laws of nature, wrought, or held to be wrought, either by the immediate act, or by the permission and assistance of a supernatural being; a supernatural event.-3. Anciently, a spectacle or dramatic representation exhibiting the lives of the saints, or other sacred subjects; a miracle-play.

At markets and miracles we medley us never. Piers Plowman. -To a miracle, wonderfully; admirably; as, he did his part to a miracle. Has it not succeeded to a miracle Lord Lytton. Miraclet (mir'a-kl), v.t. To make wonderful.

Who this should be,

Doth miracle itself, loved before me. Shak. Miracle-monger (mir'a-kl-mung-ger), n. An impostor who pretends to work miracles.

Direct the intention of these laws only against jug. glers, miracle-mongers, or impostors. Hally well. Miracle-play (mir'a-kl-plā), n. See MIRACLE, 3. Miraculize (mi-rak'ü-liz), v.t. To represent as a miracle. Shaftesbury. Miraculous (mi-rak'ü-lus), a. 1. Of the nature of a miracle; performed by, involving, or exhibiting a power beyond the ordinary agency of natural laws; effected by or proceeding from the direct agency of almighty power; as, the miraculous healing of the sick or raising the dead by Christ; the miraculous powers of the apostles.

At the first planting of the Christian religion, God was pleased to accompany it with a miraculous power. Tillotson.

2. Exceedingly surprising or wonderful; extraordinary; incredible; as, his dexterity was something miraculous. Miraculously (mi-rak'ü-lus-li), adv. 1. By miracle; supernaturally.

Æneas, wounded as he was, could not have engaged him in single combat, unless his hurt had been miraculously healed. Dryden.

2. Wonderfully; by extraordinary means. Miraculousness (mi-rak'ü-lus-nes), n. The quality of being miraculous; the state of being effected by miracle or by supernatural agency. The miraculousness of such appearances.' West.

Mirador (mi-ra-dor'), n. [Sp., from mirar,
to behold, to view. See MIRROR.] A Span-
ish term for a kind of belvedere or gallery
commanding an extensive view.
Mirage (mi-räzh'), n. [Fr., from mirer, to
look at attentively; se mirer, to look at one's
self in a glass, to be reflected. See MIRROR.]
The name given to an optical illusion, occa-
sioned by the refraction of light through
contiguous masses of air of different den-
sity; such refraction not unfrequently pro-
ducing the same sensible effect as direct re-
flection. It consists in an apparent eleva-
tion or approximation of coasts, mountains,
ships, and other objects, accompanied by
inverted images. In deserts where the sur-
face is perfectly level, a plain thus assumes
the appearance of a lake, reflecting the
shadows of objects within and around it.
The mirage is commonly vertical, that is,

ch, chain;

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presenting an appearance of one object over
another, like a ship above its shadow in the
water. Sometimes, however, the images
are horizontal.

Mirbane (mir bán), n. See NITRO-BENZOL.
Mire (mir), n. [A Scandinavian word; Icel.
myrr, mýri, Sw. myra, N. myre, a swamp,
bog, fen; from same root as mere, moor,
marsh.] Earth so wet and soft as to yield
easily to pressure; wet, clayey soil; mud.
'Whose waters cast up mire.' Is. lvii. 20.
'In a slough of mire.' "Shak.
Mire (mir), v.t. pret. & pp. mired; ppr. mir-
ing. 1. To plunge and fix in mire; to set or
stall in mud; as, a horse, an ox, or carriage
is mired when it has sunk deep into mud
and its progress is stopped.-2. To soil or
daub with mud or foul matter. 'Smeared
thus, and mired with infamy.' Shak. 'Har-
pies miring every dish.' Tennyson.
Mire (mir), v.i. To sink in mud, or to sink
so deep as to be unable to move forward.
'Paint till a horse may mire upon your face.'
Shak.

Miret (mir), n. [A. Sax. and L.G. mire, Dan.
myre, Icel. maur, G. miere, an ant.] An ant.
See PISMIRE.

Mire-crow (mir'krō), n. The sea-crow, laugh-
ing gull, or pewit gull (Larus ridibundus).
Mire-drum (mir'drum), n. [From its cry,
and from haunting miry places.] A provin-
cial (Scotch) name for the bittern.
Mirfack (mir'fak), n. The name of the bright

star & Persei.

Mirific, Mirifical (mi-rif'ik, mi-rif'ik-al), a.
[L.mirificus-mirus, wonderful, and facio, to
make, to do.] Wonder-working; wonderful.
Mirificent (mi-rif'i-sent), a. [L. mirus, won-
derful, and facio, to make.] Causing won-
der. Dr. H. More. [Rare.]
Miriness (mir'i-nes), n. The state of being
miry, or covered with deep mud.
Mirkt (merk), a. [A. Sax. myrc, mire, dark,
murky; Icel. myrkr, Dan. and Sw. mörk,
dark.] Dark. See MURKY.

Burns.

Oh mirk, mirk is this midnight hour,
And loud the tempest's roar.
-Pit mirk (a corruption of provincial pick-
mirk,for pitch-mirk), dark as pitch. [Scotch.]
Mirk (merk), n. Darkness; gloom.

They lived in narrow streets and lanes obscure,
Ghetto and Judenstrass, in mirk and mire.
Longfellow.
Mirksome + (mêrk'sum), a. Darksome.
"Through mirksome aire her ready way she
make.' Spenser.
Mirksomeness (mêrk'sum-nes), n. Obscur-
ity. Clearly comprehends all the darkest
mirksomeness therein.' Mountagu.
Mirky (merk'i), a. Dark; wanting light;

murky.

Mirligoes (mér❜li-gōz), n. Dizziness; me-
grims in the head. [Scotch.]

Mirror (mir'er), n. [Fr. miroir, a mirror,
from mirer, to look at attentively, from L.
miror, to admire, mirus, wonderful.] 1. A
looking-glass; any glass or polished sub-
stance that forms images by the reflection
of rays of light; a speculum. Mirrors are
either plane, convex, or concave. Plane
mirrors, or those having a plane surface,
represent bodies of their natural magnitude.
Convex mirrors disperse the rays, and in
consequence diminish the images of objects.
Concave mirrors, or those having a hollow
surface, collect the rays, and reflect them
to a focus in front of the mirror, thereby
enlarging the image of the object. Mirrors
are made of glass, silvered on the back, or
of polished metal, which last are often
called specula. •

And in her hand she held a mirror bright
Wherein her face she often view'd. Spenser.

2. A pattern; an exemplar; that on which
men ought to fix their eyes; that which
gives a true representation, or in which a
true image may be seen.

O goddess, heavenly bright,

Mirror of grace and majesty divine. Spenser.

3. In arch. a small oval ornament cut into
deep mouldings, and separated by wreaths
of flowers.

Mirror (mirėr), v.t. 1. To furnish with
mirrors; as, a beautifully mirrored room.-
2. To reflect in or as in a mirror; as, the
lake mirrors the surrounding mountains.
Mirror-stonet (mir'èr-stōn), n. A bright
stone; a stone which reflects like a mirror.
Mirth (mêrth), n. [O.E. mirthe, merthe,
murthe, &c., A. Sax. myrhth, murhth, mirth,
&c., from murge, mirig, myrig, merry, joy-
ful. See MERRY.] Social merriment; high

ch, Sc. loch; g, go; j, job; h, Fr. ton; ng, sing; TH, then; th, thin;

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With genial joy to warm the soul,
Bright Helen mix'd a mirth-inspiring bowl.

Pope.

I love such mirth as does not make friends ashamed to look upon one another next morning. Iz. Walton.

-Mirth, Cheerfulness.

I have always preferred cheerfulness to mirth. The latter I consider as an act, the former as a habit, of the mind. Mirth is short and transient; cheerfulness, fixed and permanent. Those are often raised into the greatest transports of migth, who are subject to the greatest depressions of melancholy; on the contrary, cheerfulness (though it does not give the mind such an exquisite gladness), prevents us from falling into any depths of sorrow. Mirth is like a flash of lightning, that breaks through a gloom of clouds, and glitters for a moment; cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, and fills it with a steady, and perpetual serenity. Addison. SYN. Merriment, joyousness, gladness, fun, frolic, glee, hilarity, festivity, jollity. Mirthful (merth'ful), a. 1. Merry; jovial; festive. Mirthful he but in a stately kind.' Tennyson.

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The feast was serv'd, the bowl was crown'd, To the king's pleasure went the mirthful round. Prior. 2. Causing or provoking mirth or merriment. 'Mirthful, comic shows.' Shak.

Tell mirthful tales in course that fill the room with laughter. Beau. & Fl.

Mirthfully (měrth'ful-li), adv. In a mirthful or jovial manner; as, to be mirthfully disposed.

Mirthfulness (mèrth'fyl-nes), n. Mirth; merriment.

Mirthless (mêrthles), a. Without mirth or hilarity; joyless. Donne; T. Warton. Mirthlessness (mérth'les-nes), n. Absence of mirth.

Miry (mir'i), a. Abounding with mire or
mud; full of mire; as, a miry road; a miry
lane. In how miry a place.' Shak.
Mirza (mèr'za), n. [A corruption of the
Persian title Emirzadeh, son of the prince-
emir, prince, and zadeh, son.] The common
title of honour in Persia, when it precedes
the surname of an individual.
When ap-
pended to the surname, it signifies prince.
Mis-(mis). A prefix signifying error, defect,
wrong, negation, and the like; as, misname,
misemploy, mistake, misdeed. It is the
same with the A. Sax. Icel. Dan. and D.
particle mis-, Sw. miss-, G. miss-, mis-, the
verb to miss having the same origin. In
some words, as mischief, miscreant, mis-
nomer, the prefix has a different origin,
being from L. minus, less. In the following
entries of compounds having this prefix will
be found all those which seemed to require
any explanation or illustration.

Mis, t adv. Ill; amiss. [See MIS, prefix.]
Chaucer.

Mis,+ n. A wrong. Chaucer.
Misacceptation (mis-ak'sep-tā"shon), n.
Act of taking or understanding in a wrong

sense.

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Chaucer.

He thought he misaccompted had his day. Misadjust (mis-ad-just'), v.t. To adjust badly; to put out of adjustment. Jer. Taylor.

Misadventure (mis-ad-ven'tür), n. Mischance; misfortune; ill luck; an unlucky accident.

Your looks are pale and wild and do import Some misadventure. Shak. -Homicide by misadventure, is when a man, doing a lawful act, without any intention of injury, unfortunately kills another. This is called excusable homicide.-SYN. Mischance, mishap, misfortune, disaster, calamity.

Misadventuredt (mis-ad-ven'tūrd), a. Un-
fortunate. Misadventur'd piteous over-
throws.' Shak.

Misadventurous (mis-ad-ven'tūr-us), a.
Pertaining to misadventure; unfortunate.
Misadvice (mis-ad-vis'), n. Ill advice; bad
counsel. Ash.

Misadvise (mis-ad-viz'), v.t. To give bad
advice to.

Misadvised (mis-ad-vīzd'), a. Ill-advised;
ill-directed.

Misadvisedly (mis-ad-viz'ed-li), adv. Incon-
siderately. Udall.
Misaffect t (mis-af-fekt'), v.t. To dislike.
Milton.

Misaffectedt (mis-af-fekt'ed), a. Ill-af-
fected; ill-disposed.

The whole body groans under such heads, and all the members must needs be misaffected. Burton.

w, wig; wh, whig; zh, azure.-See KEY. 100

MISAFFECTION

Misaffection (mis-af-fek'shon), n. A wrong affection. Bp. Hall. Misaffirm (mis-af-férm'), v. t. To affirm incorrectly. Milton.

Misaimed (mis-amd), a. Not rightly aimed or directed. Spenser. Misallegation (mis-al'lē-gā"shon), n. A false statement. 'Who have charged me with misallegation.' Bp. Morton. Misallege (mis-al-lej'), v.t. To state erroneously; to cite falsely as a proof or argument. Bp. Hall.

Misalliance (mis-al-li'ans), n. Any improper alliance or association; specifically, an improper connection by marriage. In the latter sense generally written in its French form Mésalliance.

Their purpose was to ally two things, in nature incompatible, the Gothic and the classic unity; the effect of which misalliance was to discover and ex

pose the nakedness of the Gothic. Bp. Hurd. A Leigh had made a misalliance, and blushed A Howard should know it. E. B. Browning.

Misallied (mis-al-lid'), a. Improperly allied or connected. A misallied and disparaged branch of the house of Nimrod.' Burke.

Misallotment (mis-al-lot'ment), n. A wrong

allotment.

Misalter (mis-al'těr), v.t. To alter wrongly or for the worse. Bp. Hall. Misanthrope, Misanthropist (mis'anthrop, mis-an'thrōp-ist), n. [Gr. misanthrōpos-mises, to hate, and anthropos, man.] A hater of mankind.

Swift.

Alas! poor dean, his only scope Was to be held a misanthrope. Misanthropic, Misanthropical_(mis-anthrop'ik, mis-an-throp'ik-al), a. Hating or having a dislike to mankind.

What can be more gloomy and misanthropic than the following strain of discontent? Observer. Misanthropize (mis-an'thrōp-iz), v.t. To render misanthropic. Quart. Rev. [Rare.]

Misanthropos (mis-an'thrōp-os), n. [Gr.;

not an English word.] A misanthrope; a manhater.

I am misanthropos, and hate mankind. Shak. Misanthropy (mis-an'thrō-pi), n. Hatred or dislike to mankind: opposed to philanthropy.

Misapplication (mis-ap'pli-kā"shon), n. A wrong application; an application to a wrong person or purpose. Misapplication of the means of life." South. Misapply (mis-ap-pli'), v. t. To apply to a wrong person or purpose; as, to misapply a name or title; to misapply our talents or exertions; to misapply public money.

Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied. Shak. Misappreciate (mis-ap-prē'shi-āt), v.t. Not properly or fully to appreciate; to fall in rightly appreciating; as, his efforts were sadly misappreciated.

Misapprehend (mis-ap'pre-hend), v.t. To misunderstand; to take in a wrong sense. Wilfully to misapprehend the author's views.' Ld. Brougham.

Misapprehension (mis-ap'pre-hen"shon), n. A mistaking or mistake; wrong apprehension of one's meaning or of a fact; as, you are labouring under a serious misapprehension. SYN. Misconception, misunderstanding, mistaking, mistake.

Misapprehensively (mis-ap-pre-hen'siv-li), adv. By misapprehension. Misappropriate (mis-ap-prō'pri-āt), v. t. pret. & pp. misappropriated; ppr. misappropriating. To appropriate wrongly; to put to a wrong purpose; as, to misappropriate funds intrusted to one.

Misappropriation (mis-ap-pro'pri-ā"shon), N. Wrong appropriation; as, to be guilty of misappropriation of money. Misarrange (mis-a-rānj), v.t. To place in a wrong order or improper manner. Misarrangement (mis-a-ranj'ment), n. Wrong or disorderly arrangement. tastic misarrangement.' Cowper. Misascribe (mis-as-krīb'), v.t. To ascribe falsely.

Fan

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178

Misbear,t Misbere,t v.i. To misbehave. Chaucer.

Misbecome (mis-bē-kum), v.t. pret. misbecame; ppr. misbecoming; pp. misbecome or misbecomed (the latter is used by Shakspere). Not to become; to suit ill; not to befit.

And, as you are a king, speak in your state,
What I have done that misbecame my place.
Shak,

Thy father will not act what misbecomes him. Addison. Misbecoming (mis-be-kum'ing), p. and a. Unbecoming; unseemly; improper; indecorous. Misbecoming and disingenuous ways. Locke. Anything so disingenuous, so misbecoming a gentleman.' Locke. Misbecomingly (mis-be-kum'ing-li), adv. In an unbecoming manner. Beau. & Fl. Misbecomingness (mis-bē-kum'ing-nes), n. Unbecomingness; unsuitableness. Boyle. Misbede, vt. [A. Sax. misbeôdan-prefix mis, and beôdan, to bid, to offer.] To wrong by word or deed; to insult. Chaucer. Misbefitting (mis-be-fit'ing), a. Not befitting. Misbeget (mis-be-get), v.t. To beget wrongfully or unlawfully. Robert of Gloucester. Misbegot, Misbegotten (mis-be-got', misbe-got'n), p. and a. Unlawfully or irregularly begotten: used also as a general epithet of opprobrium. 'Three misbegotten knaves in Kendal Green.' Shak. 'Her misbegotten brood of lies.' Lloyd. Misbehave (mis-be-hāv'), v.i. To behave ill; to conduct one's self improperly. Misbehave (mis-be-hav), v.t. To behave ill: with the reflexive pronouns; as, he misbehaved himself.

ment.' South.

Misbehaved (mis-bē-hāvd^), a. Guilty of ill behaviour; ill bred; rude. 'A misbehaved and sullen wench.' Shak. Misbehaviour (mis-bē-hāv′yêr), n. Ill conduct; improper, rude, or uncivil behaviour. "This misbehaviour and unworthy deportMisbeholden (mis-be-hōld'n), a. Offensive; unkind; as, a misbeholden word. [North of England and United States.] Misbelief (mis-be-lēf'), n. lief; false religion; unbelief. Misbelieve (mis-be-lēv'), v.i. To believe erroneously. And chyde at him that made her misbelieve.' Spenser. Misbeliever (mis-bē-lēv'èr), n. One who believes wrongly; one who holds a false religion. Shak.

Erroneous be

Misbelieving (mis-bē-lēv′ing), a. Believing erroneously; irreligious. That misbeliev ing Moor.' Shak. Misbeseem (mis-be-sēm), v.t. To suit ill;

to misbecome. Hakewill. Misbeseeming (mis-be-sem'ing), p. and a. Unbecoming; misbecoming. 'Lay any misbeseeming imputation upon God.' Barrow. Misbestow (mis-be-stō'), v.t. To bestow improperly. Misbestowed wealth.' Milton. Misboden,t pp. of misbede. Injured. ChauMisborn (mis-born'),a. Born to evil. Spenser. Misborne, pp. of misbear. Misbehaved. Chaucer.

cer.

Misca' (mis-kä), v.t. To miscall; to abuse and call names; to revile; to speak ill of. [Scotch.]

Miscalculate (mis-kal'kū-lāt), v.t. To calculate erroneously; to make a wrong guess or estimate of. Misquoted, misinterpreted and miscalculated.' Arbuthnot. Miscalculation (mis-kal'kū-lā"shon), n. Erroneous calculation or estimate; as, to

make a miscalculation in accounts.

Miscall (mis-kal'), v. t. 1. To call by a wrong name; to name improperly. 'Simple truth miscalled simplicity.' Shak. -2. To give a bad name or character to. [Rare.]

You taught the book of life my name, that so,
Whatever future sinnes should me miscall,
Your first acquaintance might discredit all.
Herbert.

Miscarriage (mis-kar'rij), n. 1. Unfortunate issue or result of an undertaking; failure; defeat; non-success; as, the criminal escaped by a miscarriage of justice.

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MISCHANCE

Miscarriageable (mis-karʼrij-a-bl),a. Liable to miscarry. Bp. Hall. [Rare.] Miscarry (mis-karʼri), v.i. 1. To fail to reach its destination; to be carried into the wrong hands, as a letter. A letter which accidentally hath miscarried.' Shak.-2. To fail of the intended effect; not to succeed; to be unsuccessful; to suffer defeat: said either of persons or things, but now generally in such phrases as, the project, scheme, design, enterprise, attempt, has miscarried. 'Frederick, the great soldier, who miscarried at Shak.

sea.

Shak.

My ships have all miscarried. 3. To bring forth young before the proper time; specifically, to expel the embryo or fetus from the uterus within six weeks after conception. -4. † To be brought forth before the proper time, as a child. 'An the child

I now go with do miscarry.' Shak. Miscast (mis-kast'), v.t. To cast or reckon erroneously. Sir T. Browne.

Miscast (mis-kast'), n. An erroneous cast or reckoning. Wright.

Miscatholic (mis-kath'o-lik), a. Heterodox. Bp. Hall. [Rare.]

[L.

Miscegenation (mis'se-je-nā"shon), n. Miscee (mis-e'), n. Same as Missi. misceo, to mix, and genus, a race.] Mixture or amalgamation of races.

The intimate communion which was possible in the days of slavery (in America) between the white and the black is now, for a dozen obvious reasons, impossible. The intermixture of dialects is as sure to be stopped as the commingling of bloods. Competent observers say that miscegenation was nearly ended by the war and the emancipation of the slave. The two races are steadily drifting apart, so far as all intimate association is concerned. Edward King. Miscellanarian (mis-sel'la-nă"ri-an), a. [See MISCELLANY.] Belonging to miscellanies; miscellaneous. 'Miscellanarian authors.' Shaftesbury. Miscellanarian (mis-sel'la-nā”ri-an), n. A writer of miscellanies. Shaftesbury. Miscellanet (mis'sel-an),n. A mixture of two Miscellanea (mis-sel-la'nē-a), n. pl. [See or more sorts of grain: now called Meslin. below.] A collection of miscellaneous matters of any kind; specifically, a collection of miscellaneous literary compositions; mis

cellanies.

Miscellaneous (mis-sel-lā'nē-us), a. [L. miscellaneus, from misceo, to mix.] 1. Mixed; mingled; consisting of several kinds; diversified; promiscuous; as, a miscellaneous publication; a miscellaneous rabble.-2. Producing things of various sorts; as, a miscellaneous writer. 'An elegant and miscellaneous Miscellaneously (mis-sel-lā'nē-us-li), adv. author.' Sir T. Browne. In a miscellaneous manner; with variety or mixture; promiscuously. Miscellaneousness (mis-sel-lā'nē-us-nes), n. The state of being miscellaneous or mixed; composition of various kinds. Miscellanist (mis-sella-nist), n. A writer of miscellanies; à miscellanarian.

Miscellany (mis'sel-la-ni), n. [Fr. miscel lanée, miscellanées; L. miscellanea, mixed or mingled things, from misceo, to mix.] 1. A mass or mixture of various kinds. 'Not like the piebald miscellany, man.' Tenny

son.

'Tis but a bundle or miscellany of sin. Hewyt. Specifically-2. A book or pamphlet containing a collection of compositions on various subjects, or a collection of various kinds of compositions, treatises, or extracts. Miscellany + (mis'sel-la-ni), a. Miscellaneous. A few miscellany observations.' Harris.-Miscellany madam,† a female trader in miscellaneous articles, especially of female attire or ornament.

As a waiting-woman, I would taste my lady's delights to her; as a miscellany madam, invent new tires, and go visit courtiers. B. Fonson. Miscentret (mis-sen'tèr), v. t. To place amiss. Donne.

Mischallenge (mis-chal'lenj), n. A false challenge; a challenge given amiss.

Lo! faitour, there thy meede unto thee take, The meede of thy mischallenge. Spenser. Mischance (mis-chans), n. Ill luck; ill fortune; misfortune; mishap; misadventure. "With mischance and with misaventure.' Chaucer. 'Triumph over all mischance.' Shak. 'Seeing all his own mischance.' Ten

nyson.

Nothing can be a fault that is not naturally in man's power to prevent; otherwise, it is a man's unhappiness, his mischance, or calamity, but not his fault." South SYN. Misfortune, misadventure, mishap, infelicity, calamity, disaster.

MISCHANCE

Mischance (mis-chans'), v.i. To happen wrongly or unfortunately. Spenser.

Mischaracterize (mis-kar'ak-tér-iz), v. t. To characterize falsely or erroneously; to give a wrong character to.

Mischarge (mis-chärj'), v.t. To mistake in charging; as, to mischarge items in an ac

count.

Mischarge (mis-chärj^), n. A mistake in charging; an erroneous entry in an account. Mischevable,ta. 1. Unfortunate. Lydgate. 2. Mischievous. Lydgate.

Mischief (mis'chif), n. [O. Fr. mescheif, meschef, mischief; Pr. mescap; Sp. Pg. menoscabo, deterioration, loss; from Fr. and Pr. mes, Sp. and Pg. menos = L. minus, less, and chef.cap,cabo=L.caput, the head.] 1. Harm; hurt; injury; damage; evil, whether intended or not; sometimes calamity, misfortune. 'Till mischief and despair drive you to break your necks." Shak. 'Lest some mischief befall him.' Gen. xlii. 4.

Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs. Ps. lii. 2. An he had been a dog that should have howled thus they would have hanged him: and I pray God his bad voice bode no mischief. Shak.

The rage against machinery; the objections to a free export of grain, &c.; afford additional illustra tions of the mischiefs which ignorance of economical science is calculated to produce. Brougham.

2. Cause of evil, harm, or injury.

Many of their horse, also, fallen in disorderly, were now more a mischief to their own, than before a terror to their enemies. Milton.

3. Source of vexation, trouble, or annoyance; vexatious or annoying matter; as, I have money enough, but the mischief is I have left my purse at home.

The mischief was these allies would never allow that the common enemy was subdued. Swift.

4. A worker of mischief. Dryden.-5. Troublesome, aggravating, or annoying act or conduct; conduct causing some slight injury or annoyance; wrong-doing; as, these boys are never out of mischief.-To do one a mischief, to do harm to one, generally bodily harm. To make mischief between persons, to set them at variance; to cause ill-feeling between them. Mischieft (mis'chif), v. t. To hurt; to harm; to injure.

It is in me to plague and mischief you indeed. Holland. Mischief-maker (mis'chif-māk-ér), n. One who makes mischief; one who excites or instigates quarrels or enmity. Mischief-making (mis'chif-māk-ing), a. Causing harm; exciting enmity or quarrels. A little curly-headed, good-for-nothing, And mischief-making monkey from his birth. Byron. Mischieve (mis'chěv), v.t. To hurt; to do a mischief to. [Obsolete and Scotch.]

He that kills may be killed, and he that does injury may be mischieved. Fer. Taylor. Mischievous (mis'chiv-us), a. 1. Harmful; hurtful; injurious; pernicious; noxious. Most mischievous foul sin.' Shak.

This false, wily, doubling disposition is intolerably mischievous to society. South.

2. Inclined to do harm; fond of mischief; annoying or troublesome in conduct; as, a mischievous boy. -SYN. Harmful, hurtful, injurious, detrimental, noxious, pernicious, destructive.

Mischievously (mis'chiv-us-li), adv. 1. With injury, hurt, loss, or damage; as, this law operates mischievously.-2. With evil intention or disposition; as, the injury was done mischievously.

Mischievousness (mis'chiv-us-nes), n. 1. Hurtfulness; noxiousness.-2. Disposition to do harm, or to vex or annoy; as, the mischievousness of youth.

Mischna (mish'na), n. A part of the Jewish Talmud. See MISHNA. Mischoose (mis-chöz'), v.t. or i. To choose wrong; to make a wrong choice. Stow. Mischristen (mis-kris'n), v.t. To christen wrong.

Miscibility (mis-i-bil'i-ti), n. State of being miscible; capability of being mixed. Miscible (mis'i-bl), a. [Fr., from L. misceo, to mix.] Capable of being mixed; as, oil and water are not miscible.

All these had kept the landed and moneyed interests more separated in France, less miscible. Burke.

Miscitation (mis-si-tä'shon), n. A wrong citation; erroneous quotation. Bp. Hall. Miscite (mis-sit), v.t. To cite erroneously or falsely; as, to miscite a text of Scripture. Misclaim (mis-klām), n. A mistaken claim. Error, misclaim, and forgetfulness become suitors for some remission of extreme rigour. Bacon.

179

Miscognizant (mis-kog'ni-zant or mis-kon'i-zant), a. Ignorant of; unacquainted with. Miscognize (mis-kog-nīz′), v.t. To misunderstand. Holland.

Miscollect (mis-kol-lekt'), v.t. To collect wrongly. Hooker. Miscollection (mis-kol-lek'shon), n. Α wrong, faulty, or deficient collection.

In his words and yours, I find both miscollection and wrong charge. Bp. Hall. Miscollocation (mis-kol'lō-kā"shon), n. Wrong collocation. De Quincey. Miscomfort (mis-kum'fért), v. t. To cause discomfort to. Sir T. Malory. [Rare.] Miscomfort+ (mis-kum'fért), n. Discomfort. Miscomprehend (mis-kom'pre-hend"), v.t. To comprehend incorrectly or erroneously; to misunderstand.

Miscomputation (mis-kom-pu-tā'shon), n. Erroneous computation; false reckoning. Clarendon.

Miscompute (mis-kom-pūt), v.t. To compute or reckon erroneously. Sir T. Browne. Misconceitt (mis-kon-sēt), n. Misconception.

The other which instead of it we are required to accept, is only by error and misconceit named the ordinance of Jesus Christ. Hooker.

Misconceive (mis-kon-sēv'), v.t. or i. To receive a false notion or opinion of anything; to misjudge; to have an erroneous understanding of anything; as, you entirely misconceive the question in dispute.

To yield to others just and reasonable causes of those things, which, for want of due consideration heretofore, they have misconceived. Hooker.

SYN. To misapprehend, misunderstand, misjudge, mistake. Misconceiver (mis-kon-sēv ́ėr), n. One who misconceives.

What a misconceiver 'tis. Beau. & Fl.
Er-

Misconception (mis-kon-sep'shon), n. roneous conception; false opinion; wrong notion or understanding of a thing.

Great errors and dangers result from a misconcep tion of the names of things. Harvey.

SYN. Misconception, misunderstanding, mistake. Misconclusion (mis-kon-klū'zhon), n. An erroneous conclusion or inference. Bp. Hall.

Misconduct (mis-kon'dukt), n. 1. Wrong conduct; misbehaviour; ill behaviour. 'Guilty of the same slips or misconducts in their own behaviour.' Addison.-2. Mismanage

ment. Misconduct (mis-kon-dukt), v. t. 1. To conduct amiss; to mismanage.-2. With reflexive pronouns, to misbehave; as, he misconducted himself grossly. Misconfident† (mis-kon'fi-dent), a. Having false confidence.

Brethren, your not omniscient eyes shall see that my eyes are so lyncean as to see you proudly mis confident. Bp. Hall. Misconjecture (mis-kon-jek'tūr), n. A wrong conjecture or guess.

I hope they will . . . correct our misconjectures. Sir T. Browne. Misconjecture (mis-kon-jek'tür), v. t. or i. To guess wrong. 'Persons do misconjecture of the humours of men in authority.' Bacon. Misconsecrate (mis-kon'së-krāt), v.t. To consecrate improperly. Bp. Hall. Misconsecration (mis-kon'se-krā”shon), n. Wrong consecration. Misconsequence (mis-kon'sē-kwens), n. A wrong consequence or deduction. Abp. Leighton.

Misconster (mis-kon'stër), v.t. To misconstrue. Old editions of Shak. Misconstruct (mis-kon-strukt), v.t. 1. To construct wrong.-2.† To interpret wrong; to misconstrue. Misconstruction (mis-kon-struk'shon), n. The act of misconstruing; wrong interpretation of words or things; a mistaking of the true meaning; as, a misconstruction of words or actions. Shak. Misconstrue (mis-kon'strö), v.t. To construe or interpret erroneously; to misapprehend; to take in a wrong sense; to misjudge; to misunderstand. 'Lest I be misconstrued. Shak.

Do not, great sir, misconstrue his intent. Dryden. A virtuous emperor was much affected to find his actions misconstrued. Addison. Misconstruer (mis-kon'strö-ér), n. One who misconstrues; one who makes a wrong interpretation.

Miscontent (mis-kon-tent), a. Discontented. Udall

MISDEMEANANT

Miscontinuance (mis-kon-tin'ū-ans), n. Cessation. In law, (a) continuance by an improper process. Tomlins. (b) Discontinuance. Cowell.

Miscord + (mis-kord'), v. i. To be discordant. Chaucer.

Miscorrect (mis-ko-rekt'), v.t. To correct erroneously; to mistake in attempting to correct another.

He passed the first seven years of his life at Mantua, not seventeen, as Scaliger miscorrects his author. Dryden. Miscounsel (mis-koun'sel), v.t. pret. & pp. miscounselled; ppr. miscounselling. To advise wrong. Spenser.

Miscount (mis-kount), v. t. 1. To count erroneously; to mistake in counting to the amount of.

In their computation they had mistaken and miscounted... a hundred years. Bp. Hall. 2. To misjudge or misconstrue. 'Miscounted as malignant hate.' Tennyson. Miscount (mis-kount'), v. i. To make wrong reckoning.

cer.

Thus do all men generally miscount in the days of their health. Bp. Patrick. Miscount (mis-kount'), n. An erroneous counting or numbering. Miscovet, v.t. To covet wrongfully. ChauMiscreance, Miscreancy (mis'krē-ans, mis'kre-an-si), n. [See MISCREANT.] Unbelief; false faith; adherence to a false religion. If thou wilt renounce thy miscreance.' Spenser. 'Heresy, miscreancy, atheism.' Ayliffe:

Miscreant (mis'krē-ant), n. [0. Fr. mescreant (Mod. Fr. mécréant)—mes, prefix, from L. minus, less (see MIS-), and creant, for croyant, believing, from L. credo, to believe.] 1. A misbeliever; an infidel, or one who embraces a false faith. Turks, paynims, or such other miscreants.' Fryth.

We are not therefore ashamed of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, because miscreants in scorn have upbraided us that the highest of our wisdom is believe. Hooker.

2. A vile wretch; a scoundrel; a detestable villain.

Thou art a traitor and a miscreant, Shak. Miscreate, Miscreated (mis-krē-at', miskrē-at'ed), a. Formed unnaturally or illegitimately; deformed; spurious.

Shak.

Or nicely charge your understanding soul With opening titles miscreate, whose right Suits not in native colours with the truth. Miscreative (mis-krē-at'iv), a. Tending to wrong creation; that creates amiss. Shelley. Miscredulity (mis-kre-du'li-ti), n. Wrong or misdirected credulity; belief or credulity in a wrong object. The miscredulity of those who will rather trust to the church than to the Scripture.' Bp. Hall. Miscreed (mis-krēd'), n. A wrong or erroneous creed. [Rare.]

.

mis

Why then should man, teasing the world for grace, Spoil his salvation for a fierce miscreed. Keats. Misdate (mis-dāt), n. A wrong date. Misdate (mis-dāt'), v.t. To date erroneously; as, to misdate a letter; to misdate an event. Misdaub (mis-dab), v.t. To daub unskilfully; to spoil by daubing. The reforming and repairing of an old church, daubed with some untempered and lately laid mortar.' Bp. Hall. Misdeal (mis-děl'), n. In card-playing, a wrong deal; a deal in which each player does not receive his proper cards. Misdeal (mis-del'), v.t. or i To divide wrongly or unfairly; specifically, in cardplaying, not to give out the proper portion or number of cards to each player. Misdecision (mis-dē-si'zhon), n. A wrong

or erroneous decision.

Upon a reversal too of the judgment, the judge paid a penalty for his misdecision. Brougham. Misdeed (mis-dēd'), n. An evil deed; a wicked action. 'Be avenged on my misdeeds.' Shak. "Evils which our own misdeeds have done.' Milton.

Misdeem (mis-dēm), v. t. To judge erroneously; to misjudge; to mistake in judging. 'Misdeeming the cause to be in God's law which is in man's unrighteous ignorance.' Milton. Misdemean (mis-dē-mēn), v.t. To behave ill: with reflexive pronouns.

You that best should teach us Have misdemeaned yourself. Shak. Misdemeanant (mis-dē-mēn'ant), n. One who commits a misdemeanour.

Misdemeanants, who have money in their pockets, may be seen in many of our prisons. S. Smith.

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