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mischief
7 dictionary results for: Mischief
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
mis·chief       [mis-chif] Pronunciation Key
–noun
1.conduct or activity that playfully causes petty annoyance.
2.a tendency or disposition to tease, vex, or annoy.
3.a vexatious or annoying action.
4.harm or trouble, esp. as a result of an agent or cause.
5.an injury or evil caused by a person or other agent or cause.
6.a cause or source of harm, evil, or annoyance.
7.the devil.
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME meschef < OF, n. deriv. of meschever to end badly, come to grief. See mis-1, achieve]

—Synonyms 4. hurt. See damage.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
mis·chief       (mĭs'chĭf)  Pronunciation Key 
n.  
  1. Behavior that causes discomfiture or annoyance in another.
  2. An inclination or tendency to play pranks or cause embarrassment.
  3. One that causes minor trouble or disturbance: The child was a mischief in school.
  4. Damage, destruction, or injury caused by a specific person or thing: The broken window was the mischief of vandals.
  5. The state or quality of being mischievous.


[Middle English mischef, from Old French meschief, misfortune, from meschever, to end badly : mes-, badly; see mis-1 + chever, to happen, come to an end (from Vulgar Latin *capāre, to come to a head, from *capum, head, from Latin caput; see kaput- in Indo-European roots).]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
mischief 
c.1300, "evil condition, misfortune, need, want," from O.Fr. meschief (Fr. méchef), verbal noun from meschever "come or bring to grief, be unfortunate" (opposite of achieve), from mes- "badly" (see mis- (2)) + chever "happen, come to a head," from V.L. *capare "head," from L. caput "head" (see head). Meaning "harm or evil considered as the work of some agent or due to some cause" is from 1480. Sense of "playful malice" first recorded 1784. Mischief Night in 19c. England was the eve of May Day and of Nov. 5, both major holidays, and perhaps the original point was pilfering for the next day's celebration and bonfire; but in Yorkshire, Scotland, and Ireland the night was Halloween. The useful M.E. verb mischieve (c.1330) has, for some reason, fallen from currency.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
mischief

noun
1. reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others 
2. the quality or nature of being harmful or evil [syn: maleficence] [ant: beneficence] 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

mischief

see make mischief.


The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Mischief

Mis"chief\, n. [OE. meschef bad result, OF. meschief; pref. mes- (L. minus less) + chief end, head, F. chef chief. See Minus, and Chief.]

1. Harm; damage; esp., disarrangement of order; trouble or vexation caused by human agency or by some living being, intentionally or not; often, calamity, mishap; trivial evil caused by thoughtlessness, or in sport. --Chaucer.

Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs. --Ps. lii. 2.

The practice whereof shall, I hope, secure me from many mischiefs. --Fuller.

2. Cause of trouble or vexation; trouble. --Milton.

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

To be in mischief, to be doing harm or causing annoyance.

To make mischief, to do mischief, especially by exciting quarrels.

To play the mischief, to cause great harm; to throw into confusion. [Colloq.]

Syn: Damage; harm; hurt; injury; detriment; evil; ill.

Usage: Mischief, Damage, Harm. Damage is an injury which diminishes the value of a thing; harm is an injury which causes trouble or inconvenience; mischief is an injury which disturbs the order and consistency of things. We often suffer damage or harm from accident, but mischief always springs from perversity or folly.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Mischief

Mis"chief\, v. t. To do harm to. [Obs.] --Milton.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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