/ mɪst; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ U , C ] a cloud of very small drops of water in the air just above the ground, that make it difficult to see :
The hills were shrouded in mist .
Early morning mist patches will soon clear.
The origins of the story are lost in the mists of time (= forgotten because it happened such a long time ago) .
( figurative )
She gazed at the scene through a mist of tears.
—compare fog
—see also misty
2.
[ sing. ] a fine spray of liquid, for example, from an aerosol can
■ verb
1.
mist (sth) (up) | mist (over) when sth such as glass mists or is misted , it becomes covered with very small drops of water, so that it is impossible to see through it :
[ vn ]
The windows were misted up with condensation.
[ v ]
As he came in from the cold, his glasses misted up.
2.
mist (sth) (up) | mist (over) if your eyes mist or sth mists them, they fill with tears :
[ v ]
Her eyes misted over as she listened to the speech.
[ vn ]
Tears misted his eyes.
3.
[ vn ] to spray the leaves of a plant with very small drops of water
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English , of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Greek omikhlē mist, fog.