📖 M — The English dictionary · page 36

missing — Everyday, meaning 1: Missing means not there, lost, or not yet found.↗ If one sock is missing, you cannot find it.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A missing person or pet is lost and people are looking for it.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Missing is also the -ing form of miss: not hitting, not catching, or feeling sad that someone is away.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Noticing that someone or something is not there, such as an empty bed.↗ Example: Three puzzle pieces are missing.↗ · Find the missing number: 5 + ?↗ = 12.↗ · The book has 10 missing pages.↗ · How many cards are missing from the deck?↗ · Our cat went missing, so we put up posters.↗ · Fill in the missing word in each sentence.↗ · I am missing my grandma, who lives far away.↗ · He kept missing the ball at first.↗ · “Hullo, where is John?” he asked, suddenly missing the third bed.↗ · And now I have heard that thou hast shearers; thy shepherds have now been with us, and we did them no hurt, neither was there aught missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.↗ (Prophets 1SA.25.7, JPS 1917)↗ · Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read; no one of these shall be missing, none shall want her mate; for My mouth it hath commanded, and the breath thereof it hath gathered them.↗ (Prophets ISA.34.16, JPS 1917)↗

mission — Everyday, meaning 1: A mission is an important job someone is sent to do, often far away, like a space mission or a rescue mission.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A mission is a trip by a spacecraft or a team of soldiers, scientists or helpers to do a special task.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Someone's mission is the big aim they feel they must achieve: her mission is to save the turtles.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (church) A mission is work by a church to spread its faith and help people, or the place, such as a church or hospital, where missionaries work.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: A group of officials sent to another country, such as a diplomatic mission.↗ Everyday, meaning 6: (informal) «It was a mission» means a task was really hard work.↗ Example: The astronauts trained for years before the mission.↗ · Mission control talked to the crew by radio.↗ · The firefighters went on a rescue mission in the storm.↗ · Her mission is to get everyone in class reading.↗ · The old Spanish mission is now a museum.↗ · Our school has a mission statement on the wall.↗ · I finished the last mission in the game!↗ · Finding a parking space at the beach was a mission (informal).↗ · Several mice offered themselves for this mission and set out to find the young captain.↗ · Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗

missionary — Everyday, meaning 1: (church) A missionary is a person sent by a church or religion to another place to spread their faith, and often to run schools, hospitals or help people in need.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Missionary describes this work: missionary work, a missionary school.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (figurative) With missionary zeal means with very strong, eager belief in an idea.↗ Example: St Patrick was a missionary in Ireland.↗ · David Livingstone was a Scottish missionary and explorer in Africa.↗ · Her aunt does missionary work at a hospital in Uganda.↗ · The missionaries started a school in the village.↗ · Christians believe Jesus sent his followers out as missionaries.↗ · He talked about recycling with missionary zeal.↗ · The sisters were savages who had never seen a missionary.↗

missis — Everyday, meaning 1: (old use, dialect) Missis is a spoken form of «missus»: a wife, or a polite way to speak to a woman.↗ Example: «Good morning, missis,» said the farmer.↗ · The missis made tea for the visitors.↗ · «Hi, missis, where is the road?» he asked.↗ · Her missis was in the kitchen.↗

mississippian — Everyday, meaning 1: A Mississippian is a person from the US state of Mississippi.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The Mississippian culture was a Native American civilisation that built great earth mounds along the Mississippi valley, about 800 to 1600.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (science) The Mississippian is a period of Earth's history about 359–323 million years ago, used in the USA.↗ Example: My cousin is a Mississippian.↗ · The Mississippian people built huge earth mounds.↗ · Cahokia was the largest Mississippian city.↗ · Coal formed in the Mississippian period.↗ · Mississippian farmers grew corn and beans.↗ · A famous Mississippian writer is William Faulkner.↗

missouri — Everyday, meaning 1: (a name) Missouri is a state in the middle of the USA.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (a name) The Missouri River is the longest river in North America; it flows into the Mississippi.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: The Missouri are also a Native American people the state is named after.↗ Example: Missouri is in the middle of the United States.↗ · The Missouri River joins the Mississippi near St Louis.↗ · Lewis and Clark travelled up the Missouri.↗ · Kansas City is partly in Missouri.↗ · Mark Twain grew up in Missouri.↗ · The Missouri is longer than the Mississippi.↗

misspell — Everyday, meaning 1: To misspell a word is to spell it wrongly.↗ Example: I misspelled "necessary" in my test.↗ · Don't misspell your own name!↗ · The sign misspelled "restaurant".↗ · The spell-checker underlines misspelled words.↗ · She often misspells "because".↗ · Check your work for misspellings.↗

misspoke — Everyday, meaning 1: (euphemism, official) said something untrue or wrong — often to avoid admitting a lie.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (literal) said the wrong word by accident.↗ Example: The minister said she misspoke about the numbers.↗ · Sorry, I misspoke — I meant Tuesday.↗ · News: The spokesman later said he had misspoken.↗ · Chat: «misspoke» = got caught↗ · The teacher misspoke and called me by my sister's name.↗

misstate — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) To say or write something wrongly or falsely, such as facts or numbers, by mistake or on purpose.↗ Example: The report misstated the number of pupils at the school.↗ · He misstated the date of the battle in his essay.↗ · The company misstated its profits and got into trouble.↗ · Please check your notes so you don't misstate the facts.↗ · The article misstated what the scientist had found.↗ · She was careful not to misstate the rules of the game.↗ · The sign misstated the opening times.↗ · If you misstate a number in step one, every later answer will be wrong.↗

misstatement — Everyday, meaning 1: A statement that is wrong or not exact, often by accident.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) A false figure or claim in an official report or accounts.↗ Example: The coach admitted his misstatement about the score.↗ · There was a misstatement in the newspaper, and they printed a correction.↗ · A misstatement of the price confused the shoppers.↗ · The report had a misstatement: it said 50 pupils, not 15.↗ · Please check your notes for any misstatement before you present.↗ · The minister said it was a misstatement, not a lie.↗

misstep — Everyday, meaning 1: A wrong step when walking, which can make you trip or fall.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A mistake in what you do or decide.↗ Example: One misstep on the icy path and he slipped.↗ · Choosing that shortcut was a misstep.↗ · The dancer made a small misstep but kept going.↗ · The team's misstep cost them the game.↗ · On a cliff path, a misstep can be dangerous.↗ · We learned from our missteps and did better next time.↗ · A pumpkin is an exceedingly awkward thing to carry, and the Irishman had not gone far before he made a misstep, and stumbled.↗

missus — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal, UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ) A man's way of talking about his wife or partner: the missus.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal, UK) A way to address a woman you don't know, especially in old-fashioned or working-class speech: «Need a hand, missus?».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal) Mrs.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: The mistress of a house, the woman in charge of a home where someone works, as used in old-fashioned speech.↗ Example: «I'd better get home to the missus,» said Uncle Pete.↗ · «Morning, missus!» called the milkman.↗ · The missus and I are going on holiday.↗ · «Ask the missus if she wants a cup of tea.»↗ · «You dropped your glove, missus.»↗ · Grandad still calls Gran «the missus».↗ · "By virtue of my three feathers may the copper be lit, and the clothes washed, and mangled, and folded, and put away to the missus's satisfaction."↗

missy — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal) A way of speaking to a young girl, often in a playful, teasing or slightly cross way: «Listen, missy!».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (old use) A young lady; a miss.↗ Example: «Don't you talk back to me, missy!» said Grandma.↗ · «Come along, little missy, time for bed.»↗ · The shopkeeper winked: «What can I get for you, missy?»↗ · «Listen here, young missy, homework first.»↗ · Missy is also a nickname for girls named Melissa.↗ · My uncle calls my sister «missy» when she bosses him around.↗ · “There’s none can save you now, missy,” Mullins hissed jeeringly.↗

mist — Everyday, meaning 1: Lots of tiny drops of water in the air close to the ground, making it hard to see far; a thin kind of fog.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A fine spray of liquid.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (verb) To cover something with tiny drops: «the mirror misted up».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (verb) If your eyes mist, tears come.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: A feeling of confusion or dizziness, as if your thoughts are clouded.↗ Example: The hills were covered in mist.↗ · The bathroom mirror misted up after my shower.↗ · Drive slowly in thick mist.↗ · The morning mist cleared when the sun came out.↗ · Mum sprays a fine mist of water on the plants.↗ · Her eyes misted with tears.↗ · As he looked a mist came over his senses.↗ · but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.↗ (Torah GEN.2.6, JPS 1917)↗

mistake — Everyday, meaning 1: Something that is wrong, like a wrong answer or a wrong action.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Something done that you later wish you had not done.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Verb: to think one person or thing is another: «I mistook him for his brother».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: By mistake: without meaning to.↗ Example: I made a mistake in my sum.↗ · Check your work for spelling mistakes.↗ · Everyone makes mistakes.↗ · I took your pencil by mistake.↗ · We learn from our mistakes.↗ · She mistook the salt for sugar.↗ · Opening the door to a stranger would be a mistake.↗ · It's okay — it was a mistake, not on purpose.↗ · ‘Oh, your majesty, it was a mistake!↗ · The Seven Heavens and the Seven Earths are printed with errors, and I believe intentional mistakes, in many occult ancient books.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗ · Again, I have to add that I have not only endeavored to correct a great many mistakes and erroneous ideas of my predecessors, but I have also endeavored to give more complete annotations.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗ · The author of the Sefer Yetzirah apparently cautioned against the very errors and mistakes into which all writers on Hebrew grammar have fallen.↗ (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914))↗

mistaken — Everyday, meaning 1: Wrong in what you think or believe: «You are mistaken».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: «Mistaken for» means thought to be someone or something else: «He was mistaken for his twin».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Based on a wrong idea: «a mistaken belief».↗ Example: I'm sorry, you are mistaken; this is my bag.↗ · She was mistaken for her older sister.↗ · If I'm not mistaken, the bus leaves at eight.↗ · It is a mistaken idea that bats are blind.↗ · The police arrested the wrong man in a case of mistaken identity.↗ · I had mistaken the date of the party.↗ · He was mistaken about the answer.↗ · But in this he was mistaken!↗

mistakenly — Everyday, meaning 1: Because of a mistake; wrongly: «He mistakenly took my bag».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Believing something that is not true: «Many people mistakenly think bulls hate red».↗ Example: I mistakenly put salt in my tea instead of sugar.↗ · Many people mistakenly believe that bulls hate the colour red; they react to movement.↗ · She mistakenly got on the wrong bus.↗ · The parcel was mistakenly delivered next door.↗ · He mistakenly thought the test was tomorrow.↗ · People once mistakenly thought the Earth was flat – in fact, educated people have known it is round for over 2,000 years.↗ · The email was mistakenly sent to the whole school.↗ · The goal was mistakenly ruled out by the referee.↗ · But the shepherd, returning to the fold during the night to obtain meat for the next day, mistakenly caught up the Wolf instead of a sheep, and killed him instantly.↗

mistletoe — Everyday, meaning 1: Mistletoe is a plant with white berries that grows on the branches of trees; people hang it up at Christmas.↗ Example: We hung mistletoe over the door at Christmas.↗ · Mistletoe grows high in the oak tree.↗ · The white berries of mistletoe are not good to eat.↗ · The fairy hid a sprig of mistletoe in her basket.↗

mistranslate — Everyday, meaning 1: To translate words from one language into another wrongly, so the meaning changes.↗ Example: The sign was mistranslated and said «Please slip carefully».↗ · If you mistranslate one word, the whole sentence can change.↗ · The online tool mistranslated my French homework.↗ · The menu was so mistranslated that «chicken» became «kitchen».↗ · Translators check their work so they don't mistranslate anything.↗ · Some famous mistakes came from mistranslated words.↗ · Be careful: French «actuellement» means «currently», and it is often mistranslated as «actually».↗

mistranslation — Everyday, meaning 1: A wrong translation from one language into another, where the meaning has been changed by mistake.↗ Example: The sign said «Slip carefully», a mistranslation of «Watch out, slippery».↗ · The menu had a funny mistranslation: «fried ice».↗ · A mistranslation can cause big misunderstandings between countries.↗ · Idioms like «it's raining cats and dogs» often lead to mistranslations.↗ · The teacher showed us mistranslations made by computer programs.↗ · One word with two meanings can cause a mistranslation.↗ · Mistranslations in instructions made building the bookshelf hard.↗ · Translators check their work carefully to avoid mistranslation.↗