▪ I. † mis, a.1 Obs.
Also mys(se.
[Partly the prefix mis-1 (4) used as a distinct part of speech (cf. next); partly a reduced form of amiss.
Some of the attributive collocations illustrated below are not essentially different from compounds of the prefix with a n. They are placed here because they are app. intended as two words and do not appear at any period as established compounds.]
Bad; wrong; wicked. In predicative use: Amiss.
| c 1350 Will. Palerne 716 Þurth a mys metyng þat swiche a maide wold Leye hire loue so lowe. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iv. 1348 That men the quene Eleyne shal restore, And Grekes us restore that is mis. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 274 So that whil I live I myhte amende that is mys. a 1425 Cursor M. 16496 (Trin.) My tresoun is so mys. c 1430 Hymns Virgin (1867) 110 Ne plese hire not with no mis plawe. c 1447 in F. M. Nichols Lawford Hall (1891) App. 23 The said enformacion of the said bille ys mysse. c 1450 Burgh Secrees 1922 In Oold mys humours. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xvii. ii. 692 For yf I be a mys creature or an vntrue knyghte. 1556 Chron. Gr. Friars (Camden) 51 To for-geve hym hys mysse insample. |
▪ II. mis, a.2 and n.
(mɪz)
Also miz, mizz.
Colloq. abbrev. of miserable a., misery.
| 1886 in H. Baumann Londinismen. 1918 Chambers's Jrnl. Mar. 156/2 He won't get any peace now we've seen him. We'll make his life a mizz. 1939 N. Monsarrat This is Schoolroom ii. ix. 205 ‘I'm mis,’ she volunteered immediately, in a muted babyish voice. 1952 ‘C. Brand’ London Particular x. 121 Rosie was ackcherly utterly mis. about..poor, darling Thomas. 1954 J. B. Priestley Magicians ii. 27 Don't look so miz. Are you hating it? 1968 Times 24 Feb. 21/3 We feel a teeny bit miz—reality does depress. 1974 Observer 27 Oct. 5/5, I wouldn't care to guess what proportion of the population has some sexual problem that makes them mis. |
▪ III. † mis, adv. Obs.
Also miss(e, mys(se.
[Partly mis-1 treated as a separate word (as in to gon mis for to misgon); partly a reduced form of amiss. Cf. MLG. mis, miss(e, Du. mis.]
Wrongly; badly; mistakenly; amiss.
to do mis(s: see miss n.1
| [c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. John iii. 20 Hælc monn forðon seðe yfle vel mis doeð..omnis enim qui male agit.] a 1225 Ancr. R. 210 Summe iuglurs beoð þet..makien cheres, & wrenchen mis hore muð. a 1240 Lofsong in O.E. Hom. I. 205 Ich habbe..iȝeuen mis and inumen mis and mis etholden. a 1300 Cursor M. 14207 Iesus said, ‘miss yee vnderstand’. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 634 Whan þou wost þat þou seyst mys. c 1350 All Saints 186 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 144 Þe tyme..Þat has bene spended mys. c 1350 Will. Palerne 141 Al þe making of man so mysse had ȝhe schaped. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. iv. pr. v. (1868) 131 Þan I merueile me..whi þat þe þinges ben so mys entrechaunged. 1415 Hoccleve To Oldcastle 83 Thow lookist mis, thy sighte is nothyng cleer. c 1430 Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1903) 193 Þou hast goon mys! come hoom ageyne! c 1450 Lovelich Merlin 270 (Kölbing) Forsothe ȝe seyn mys bothe two. |
▪ IV. mis
obs. form of miss n.1 and v.1