mistake

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To take in a wrong sense; to misunderstand misapprehend, or misconceive; as, to mistake a remark; to mistake one's meaning. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

My father's purposes have been mistook. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To substitute in thought or perception; as, to mistake one person for another. [ 1913 Webster ]

A man may mistake the love of virtue for the practice of it. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To have a wrong idea of in respect of character, qualities, etc.; to misjudge. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mistake me not so much,
To think my poverty is treacherous. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To err in knowledge, perception, opinion, or judgment; to commit an unintentional error. [ 1913 Webster ]

Servants mistake, and sometimes occasion misunderstanding among friends. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. An apprehending wrongly; a misconception; a misunderstanding; a fault in opinion or judgment; an unintentional error of conduct. [ 1913 Webster ]

Infallibility is an absolute security of the understanding from all possibility of mistake. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) Misconception, error, which when non-negligent may be ground for rescinding a contract, or for refusing to perform it. [ 1913 Webster ]

No mistake, surely; without fail; as, it will happen at the appointed time, and no mistake. [ Low ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Blunder; error; bull. See Blunder. [ 1913 Webster ]

p.a. 1. Being in error; judging wrongly; having a wrong opinion or a misconception; as, a mistaken man; he is mistaken. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Erroneous; wrong; as, a mistaken notion. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. By mistake. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Erroneousness. [ 1913 Webster ]