Mis*take" (m&ibreve;s*tāk"), v.
t. [imp. & obs. p. p. Mistook (-
t&oocr;k"); p. p. Mistaken (-tāk"'n);
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.
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.
Mis*take" (m&ibreve;s*tāk"), 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.
