mistake
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /mɪˈsteɪk/
ipa: [mɪˈsteɪk]
ipa: [mɪˈstɛjk]
ipa: [mɪˈsteːk]
ipa: [mɪˈstæɪk]
rhymes: -eɪk
Forms: form: mistakes
form: mistaking
form: mistook
form: mistaken
Etymology: From Middle English mistaken, from Old Norse mistaka (“to take in error, to miscarry”); equivalent to mis- + take. Cognate with Icelandic mistaka (“to mistake”), Swedish missta (“to mistake”) (before apocope misstaga).
The noun, which replaced earlier mistaking, is derived from the verb.
Senses: examples: text: Sorry, I mistook you for my brother. You look very similar.
text: Don't mistake my kindness for weakness.
text: My father’s purposes have been mistook;
ref: c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV,, scene ii]:
text: The reigning error of his life was, that he mistook the love for the practice of virtue, and was indeed not so much a good man, as the friend of goodness.
ref: 1777, Samuel Johnson, “Life of the Author”, in The Works of Richard Savage with an Account of the Life and Writings of the Author, volume I, London: T. Evans, page lxi:
text: Because I don't want to know
I didn't want to know
I just didn't want to know
I just didn't want
Mistook the nods for an approval
Just ignore the smoke and smile
ref: 2003, “Blue”, performed by A Perfect Circle:
glosses: To understand wrongly, taking one thing or person for another.
examples: text: Miſtake me not, my Lord, ’tis not my meaning / To raze one Title of your Honour out.
ref: 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 32:
text: […] at last she so evidently demonstrated her Affection to him to be much stronger than what she bore her own Son, that it was impossible to mistake her any longer.
ref: 1749, Henry Fielding, chapter 6, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume I, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book III, page 194:
glosses: To misunderstand (someone).
examples: text: Impoſe me to what penance your inuention / Can lay vpon my ſinne, yet ſinn’d I not / But in miſtaking.
ref: 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 119:
text: 1720, Jonathan Swift, “Letter to a Young Clergyman” in The Works of Jonathan Swift, London: Charles Elliot, 1784, Volume 10, pp. 6-7,
No gentleman thinks it is safe or prudent to send a servant with a message, without repeating it more than once, and endeavouring to put it into terms brought down to the capacity of the bearer; yet, after all this care, it is frequent for servants to mistake, and sometimes occasion misunderstandings among friends […]
text: "Bah!" said the Englishwoman: "what knight ever feared cold? Besides, you mistake; the night is warm, and you look so handsome in your gown."
ref: 1828, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter XVI, in Pelham; or, The Adventures of a Gentleman. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 127:
text: There is also a chancellor, — no, I mistake, — a chandler and green-grocer, with his hands full of warts; […]
ref: 1857, T[héodore] Robertson, “[Charles Saville: […]] Chapter XXV”, in Synthèse de la langue anglaise (Charles Saville) : Texte anglais avec la traduction française en regard [Synthesis of the English Language (Charles Saville): English Text with Opposite French Translation], 2nd edition, Paris: Librairie française et anglaise de [French and English bookshop of] J.-H. Truchy; Ch. Leroy, successeur [successor]; […], page 240:
english: Synthesis of the English Language (Charles Saville): English Text with Opposite French Translation
translation: Synthesis of the English Language (Charles Saville): English Text with Opposite French Translation
glosses: To commit an unintentional error; to do or think something wrong.
examples: text: The better act of purposes mistook / Is to mistake again; though indirect, / Yet indirection thereby grows direct,
ref: c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 10:
text: The Spear with erring Haste mistook its way,
But plung’d in Eniopeus’ Bosom lay.
ref: 1716, Alexander Pope, transl., The Iliad of Homer, London: Bernard Lintott, Volume 2, Book 8, lines 151-152, p. 252:
glosses: To take or choose wrongly.
Derived terms: mistakability
mistakable
mistakeable
mistake fare
mistaker
unmistakable
Related terms: mistaken