miscarry

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
15
Words With Friends
16
Letters
8
Pronunciation
/ˌmɪsˈkæɹi/(UK)

Definition of miscarry

5 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

verb

  1. (obsolete)To have an unfortunate accident of some kind; to be killed, or come to harm.
See all 5 definitions

verb

  1. (obsolete)To have an unfortunate accident of some kind; to be killed, or come to harm.
  2. (archaic)To go astray; to do something wrong.
  3. To have a miscarriage; to involuntarily abort a foetus.
  4. To fail to achieve some purpose; to be unsuccessful, to go wrong (of a business, project etc.).
    “So, if a Sonne that is by his Father ſent about Merchandize, doe ſinfully miſcarry vpon the Sea; the imputation of his vvickedneſſe, by your rule, ſhould be impoſed vpon his Father that ſent him: […]”
    “Pluto observing, since the Peace, The Burial Article decrease; And, vext to see Affairs miscarry, Declar'd in Council, Death must marry […]”
  5. Of a letter etc.: to fail to reach its intended recipient.
    “Sir Nathaniel, this Biron is one of the votaries with the king; and here he hath framed a letter to a sequent of the stranger queen's, which accidentally, or by the way of progression, hath miscarried.”
    “It likewise alluded to several letters, which, as it appeared to me, must have miscarried or have been intercepted,[…].”
    “Since the luckless Friday morning he had neither been seen nor heard of; day after day, Adeline had trusted to receive a letter, but in those times posts were slow and uncertain, messengers and couriers were often employed instead; and the hope might reasonably be clung to of a letter having miscarried.”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From Middle English miscarien. By surface analysis, mis- + carry.

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