miss

miss

miss¹ [mis]

vt.

[ME missen < OE missan, akin to Ger missen < IE base * meit(h)-, to change, exchange > L mutare, to change]

1. to fail to hit or land on (something aimed at)

2. to fail to meet, reach, attain, catch, accomplish, see, hear, perceive, understand, etc.

3. to overlook; let (an opportunity, etc.) go by

4. to escape; avoid [he just missed being struck]

5. to fail or forget to do, keep, have, be present at, etc. [to miss an appointment]

6. to notice the absence or loss of [to suddenly miss one's wallet]

7. to feel or regret the absence or loss of; want [to miss one's friends]

8. to be without; lack: now used only in present participle [this book is missing a page]

vi.

1. to fail to hit something aimed at; go wide of the mark

2. to fail to be successful

3. to misfire, as an engine

4. Archaic to fail to obtain, receive, etc.: with of or in

n.

a failure to hit, meet, obtain, see, etc.

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a miss is as good as a mile

missing by a narrow margin has the same practical effect as missing by a wide one

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miss one's guess

to fail to guess or predict accurately

miss² [mis]

n.

pl. misses [contr. of MISTRESS]

1. [M-]

a) a title used in speaking to or of an unmarried woman or girl and placed before the name [Miss Smith, the Misses Smith]

b) a title used in speaking to an unmarried woman or girl but used without the name

☆ c) a title given to a young woman winning a particular beauty contest or promoting a particular product [Miss Ohio, Miss Cotton]

2. a young, unmarried woman or girl

3. [pl.] a series of sizes in clothing for women and girls of average proportions [coats in misses' sizes]