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mis·take

(mĭ-stāk)

1. An error or fault resulting from defective judgment, deficient knowledge, or carelessness.

2. A misconception or misunderstanding.

v. mis·took (mĭ-stk), mis·tak·en (mĭ-stākən), mis·tak·ing, mis·takes

v.tr.

1. To understand wrongly; misinterpret: mistook my politeness for friendliness.

2. 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 the Appendix of Indo-European roots + taka, to take.]

mis·taker n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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