15 results for: mistake

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

mis·take

Audio Help [mi-steyk] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, -took, -tak·en, -tak·ing.

–noun

1.	an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc.

2.	a misunderstanding or misconception.

–verb (used with object)

3.	to regard or identify wrongly as something or someone else: I mistook him for the mayor.

4.	to understand, interpret, or evaluate wrongly; misunderstand; misinterpret.

–verb (used without object)

5.	to be in error.

—Idiom

6.	and no mistake, for certain; surely: He's an honorable person, and no mistake.

[Origin: 1300–30; ME mistaken (v.) < ON mistaka to take in error. See mis-¹, take

]

—Related forms

mis·tak·er, noun

mis·tak·ing·ly, adverb

—Synonyms 1. inaccuracy, erratum, fault, oversight. Mistake, blunder, error, slip refer to deviations from right, accuracy, correctness, or truth. A mistake, grave or trivial, is caused by bad judgment or a disregard of rule or principle: It was a mistake to argue. A blunder is a careless, stupid, or gross mistake in action or speech, suggesting awkwardness, heedlessness, or ignorance: Through his blunder the message was lost. An error (often interchanged with mistake) is an unintentional wandering or deviation from accuracy, or right conduct: an error in addition. A slip is usually a minor mistake made through haste or carelessness: a slip of the tongue. 4. misconceive, misjudge, err.

—Antonyms 2. understanding.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
mistake

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

mis·take Audio Help (mĭ-stāk') Pronunciation Key
n.

An error or fault resulting from defective judgment, deficient knowledge, or carelessness.
A misconception or misunderstanding.

v. mis·took (mĭ-stŏŏk'), mis·tak·en (mĭ-stā'kən), mis·tak·ing, mis·takes

v. tr.

To understand wrongly; misinterpret: mistook my politeness for friendliness.
To recognize or identify incorrectly: He mistook her for her sister.

v. intr.
To make a mistake; err.

[From Middle English mistaken, to misunderstand, from Old Norse mistaka, to take in error : mis-, wrongly; see mei-¹ in Indo-European roots + taka, to take.]

mis·tak'er n.

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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.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
mistake (v.)

c.1330, from O.N. mistaka "take in error, miscarry," from mis- "wrongly" (see mis- (1)) + taka "take." The noun is attested from 1638.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

mistake
noun
1.	a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention; "he made a bad mistake"; "she was quick to point out my errors"; "I could understand his English in spite of his grammatical faults"
2.	an understanding of something that is not correct; "he wasn't going to admit his mistake"; "make no mistake about his intentions"; "there must be some misunderstanding--I don't have a sister"
3.	part of a statement that is not correct; "the book was full of errors" [syn: error]
verb
1.	identify incorrectly; "Don't mistake her for her twin sister"
2.	to make a mistake or be incorrect [syn: err]

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source - Share This
mistake1 [miˈsteik] verb — past tense miˈstook [-ˈstuk]; past participle miˈstaken

(with for) to think that (one person or thing) is another
Example: I mistook you for my brother in this bad light.

Arabic:	يُخطئ بين شَخصٍ وآخَر
Chinese (Simplified):	把…错认
Chinese (Traditional):	把…錯認
Czech:	splést si
Danish:	forveksle med
Dutch:	verkeerd aanzien voor
Estonian:	eksikombel pidama
Finnish:	erehtyä
French:	prendre pour, confondre avec
German:	verwechseln
Greek:	παίρνω κπ. για κπ. άλλο
Hungarian:	összetéveszt
Icelandic:	ruglast, *villast á
Indonesian:	keliru
Italian:	scambiare

Japanese:	間違える
Korean:	혼동하다
Latvian:	pārskatīties; noturēt par citu
Lithuanian:	palaikyti ką kuo
Norwegian:	forveksle
Polish:	pomylić, wziąć za kogo innego
Portuguese (Brazil):	confundir
Portuguese (Portugal):	confundir
Romanian:	a confunda cu, a lua drept
Russian:	принимать за другого
Slovak:	spliesť si
Slovenian:	zamenjati
Spanish:	confundir
Swedish:	förväxla ngn (ngt) med
Turkish:	karıştırmak

mistake2 [miˈsteik] verb

to make an error about
Example: They mistook the date, and arrived two days early.

Arabic:	يُسيئ فَهْم شَيءٍ
Chinese (Simplified):	搞错
Chinese (Traditional):	搞錯
Czech:	splést si, zmýlit se
Danish:	tage fejl af
Dutch:	zich vergissen in
Estonian:	eksima
Finnish:	käsittää väärin
French:	se tromper sur
German:	sich irren
Greek:	κάνω λάθος, παρανοώ
Hungarian:	eltéveszt
Icelandic:	villast á
Indonesian:	membuat kesalahan
Italian:	sbagliare

Japanese:	間違える
Korean:	실수하다, 잘못 알다
Latvian:	kļūdīties; pārprast
Lithuanian:	supainioti
Norwegian:	ta feil (av)
Polish:	pomylić
Portuguese (Brazil):	enganar-se sobre
Portuguese (Portugal):	enganar-se
Romanian:	a greşi
Russian:	ошибаться
Slovak:	spliesť si
Slovenian:	zmotiti se
Spanish:	equivocarse, entender mal
Swedish:	ta miste (fel) på
Turkish:	yanılmak

mistake [miˈsteik] noun

a wrong act or judgement
Example: a spelling mistake; It was a mistake to trust him; I took your umbrella by mistake — it looks like mine.

Arabic:	خَطأ
Chinese (Simplified):	错误
Chinese (Traditional):	錯誤
Czech:	omyl, chyba
Danish:	fejl; -fejl; fejltagelse
Dutch:	vergissing
Estonian:	eksitus
Finnish:	virhe
French:	erreur
German:	der Fehler
Greek:	λάθος
Hungarian:	hiba
Icelandic:	mistök; villa
Indonesian:	kesalahan
Italian:	errore

Japanese:	間違い
Korean:	실수, 착각
Latvian:	kļūda
Lithuanian:	klaida
Norwegian:	feil(takelse), misforståelse
Polish:	błąd
Portuguese (Brazil):	erro
Portuguese (Portugal):	erro
Romanian:	greşeală, eroare
Russian:	ошибка
Slovak:	omyl, chyba
Slovenian:	napaka
Spanish:	error, equivocación
Swedish:	misstag
Turkish:	hata, yanlışlık

See also: mistaken

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This

Main Entry: mis·take
Function: noun
1 : an unintentional error esp. in legal procedure or form that does not indicate bad faith and that commonly warrants excuse or relief by the court <the court's power to revise a judgment because of fraud, mistake, or irregularity> <a clerical mistake>
2 : an erroneous belief: as a : a state of mind that is not in accordance with the facts existing at the time a contract is made and that may be a ground for the rescission or reformation of the contract b : a misconception at the time of an offense alleged by a defendant

mistake of fact
1 : a mistake regarding a fact or facts esp. that significantly affects the performance of a contract
2 : a criminal defense that attempts to eliminate culpability on the ground that the defendant operated from an unintentional misunderstanding of fact rather than from a criminal purpose

mistake of law
: a mistake involving the misunderstanding or incorrect application of law in regard to an act, contract, transaction, determination, or state of affairs; also : a criminal defense alleging such a mistake
NOTE: In both contract and criminal law a mistake of law is a weaker ground for relief or acquittal than a mistake of fact.

mutual mistake
: a mistake common to both parties to a contract who were in agreement about the purpose or terms of the contract <reformed the contract because of a mutual mistake>

unilateral mistake
: a mistake on the part of one party to a contract that is usually not a ground for rescission or reformation unless one party stands to profit or benefit improperly from the mistake

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Mistake

Blun"der\, n. 1. Confusion; disturbance. [Obs.]

2. A gross error or mistake, resulting from carelessness, stupidity, or culpable ignorance.

Syn: Blunder, Error, Mistake, Bull.

Usage: An error is a departure or deviation from that which is right or correct; as, an error of the press; an error of judgment. A mistake is the interchange or taking of one thing for another, through haste, inadvertence, etc.; as, a careless mistake. A blunder is a mistake or error of a gross kind. It supposes a person to flounder on in his course, from carelessness, ignorance, or stupidity. A bull is a verbal blunder containing a laughable incongruity of ideas.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Mistake

Mis*take"\, v. t. To make or form amiss; to spoil in making. "Limping possibilities of mismade human nature." --Mrs. Browning.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Mistake

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.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Mistake

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.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Mistake

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.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Mistake

Mis*took"\, imp. & obs. p. p. of Mistake.

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