| miss | Origin: Contr. Fr. Mistress. 1. A title of courtesy prefixed to the name of a girl or a woman who has not been married. See Mistress. There is diversity of usage in the application of this title to two or more persons of the same name. We may write either the Miss Browns or the Misses Brown. 2. A young unmarried woman or a girl; as, she is a miss of sixteen. "Gay vanity, with smiles and kisses, Was busy 'mongst the maids and misses." (Cawthorn) 3. A kept mistress. See Mistress. 4. In the game of three-card loo, an extra hand, dealt on the table, which may be substituted for the hand dealt to a player. 1. To fail of hitting, reaching, getting, finding, seeing, hearing, etc.; as, to miss the mark one shoots at; to miss the train by being late; to miss opportunites of getting knowledge; to miss the point or meaning of something said. "When a man misses his great end, happiness, he will acknowledge he judged not right." (Locke) 2. To omit; to fail to have or to do; to get without; to dispense with; now seldom applied to persons. "She would never miss, one day, A walk so fine, a sight so gay." (Prior) "We cannot miss him; he does make our fire, Fetch in our wood." (Shak) 3. To discover the absence or omission of; to feel the want of; to mourn the loss of; to want. "Neither missed we anything . Nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him." (1 Sam. Xxv. 15, 21) "What by me thou hast lost, thou least shalt miss." (Milton) To miss stays. See Stay. Origin: AS. Missan; akin to D. & G. Missen, OHG. Missan, Icel. Missa, Sw. Mista, Dan. Miste. 100. See Mis-, pref. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| missa | Origin: LL. See 1st Mass. The service or sacrifice of the Mass. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| missed abortion | An abortion in which the foetus dies in utero but the product of conception is retained in utero for two months or longer. (05 Mar 2000) |
| missed labour | Brief uterine contractions which do not lead to labour and expulsion of the infant, but which cease, resulting in the indefinite retention of the foetus (usually lifeless) either in utero or extrauterine, e.g., in the abdominal cavity. (05 Mar 2000) |
| missed period | The failure of menstruation to occur in any month at the expected time. (05 Mar 2000) |
| missel | <zoology> Missel bird, Missel thrush, a large European thrush (Turdus viscivorus) which feeds on the berries of the mistletoe. Synonym: mistletoe thrush, mistletoe. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| missense | <molecular biology> As used in genetics, a mutation that causes a sequence such that there is a substitution of one amino acid residue for another. Missense suppression, a mutation in tRNA that allows for incorporation of an amino acid residue that allows for full function of the gene product. (05 Mar 2000) |
| missense mutation | <molecular biology> A mutation that alters a codon for a particular amino acid to one specifying a different amino acid. (18 Nov 1997) |
| missionary | One who is sent on a mission; especially, one sent to propagate religion. Missionary apostolic, a Roman Catholic missionary sent by commission from the pope. Origin: Cf. F. Missionnaire. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| missions and missionaries | To be used for articles pertaining to medical activities carried out by personnel in institutions which are administered by a religious organization. (12 Dec 1998) |
| missive | 1. Specially sent; intended or prepared to be sent; as, a letter missive. 2. Missile. "The missive weapons fly." Letters missive, letters conveying the permission, comand, or advice of a superior authority, as a sovereign. They are addressed and sent to some certain person or persons, and are distinguished from letters patent, which are addressed to the public. See: Missive. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| missy | <chemical> See Misy. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| mist | 1. Visible watery vapor suspended in the atmosphere, at or near the surface of the earth; fog. 2. Coarse, watery vapor, floating or falling in visible particles, approaching the form of rain; as, Scotch mist. 3. Hence, anything which dims or darkens, and obscures or intercepts vision. "His passion cast a mist before his sense. <botany>" (Dryden) Mist flower, a composite plant (Eupatorium coelestinum), having heart-shaped leaves, and corymbs of lavender-blue flowers. It is found in the Western and Southern United States. Origin: AS. Mist; akin to D. & Sw. Mist, Icel. Mistr, G. Mist dung, Goth. Maihstus, AS. Migan to make water, Icel. Miga, Lith. Migla mist, Russ. Mgla, L. Mingere, meiere, to make water, gr. To make water, mist, Skr. Mih to make water, n, a mist mgha cloud. 102. Cf. Misle, Mizzle, Mixen. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| mist bacillus | A saprophytic species of bacteria found in smegma from the genitalia of humans and many of the lower animals; it is also found in soil, dust, and water. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mistake | To make or form amiss; to spoil in making. "Limping possibilities of mismade human nature." 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. 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. Synonym: Blunder, error, bull. See Blunder. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |