Pronunciation: m ə - ' st ā k
Function: verb
Inflected Form: mis · took \ - ' stu ̇ k \ ; mis · tak · en \ - ' st ā -k ə n \ ; mis · tak · ing
Etymology: Middle English
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1 : to blunder in the choice of < mistook her way in the dark>
2 a : to misunderstand the meaning or intention of : MISINTERPRET <don't mistake me, I mean exactly what I said> b : to make a wrong judgment of the character or ability of
3 : to identify wrongly : confuse with another <I mistook him for his brother>
intransitive verb : to be wrong <you mistook when you thought I laughed at you ― Thomas Hardy>
– mis · tak · en · ly adverb
– mis · tak · er noun