I. ˈmist noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Middle Dutch mist, mest mist, fog, Icelandic mistur mist, haze, Greek omichlē mist, fog, Armenian mēg, Lithuanian migla, Sanskrit mih mist, megha cloud
1. : water in the form of particles suspended in the atmosphere at or near the surface of the earth : small water droplets floating or falling, approaching the form of rain, and sometimes distinguished from fog as being more transparent or as having particles perceptibly moving downward
heavy mists hung in the valley and obscured the mountains — Willa Cather
still summerlike except for the mist on the lawn as dusk fell — Kathleen Freeman
2. : something that hides or blurs objects or concepts : something that dims or obscures one's perceptions or understanding
its origins are lost in the mists of antiquity — G.G.Coulton
a revelation of the world of nature that had lain so long under the mist of erroneous medieval geography — Saturday Review
heard through the mist of sleep the voice … praying in her room — Louis Bromfield
3. : a dimness of vision : a haze or film before the eyes
a mist seemed to come before her eyes — Gilbert Parker
4.
a. : a cloud of small particles or objects resembling or suggestive of a mist
the thick mist of smoke and unescaped vapors which filled the room — Liam O'Flaherty
saw it all in a wondrous light, in the mist of leaves, in the flash of the river — Van Wyck Brooks
b. : a suspension of a finely divided liquid in a gas : fog 2c — compare fume 1b
c. : a fine spray : fog 3b
spraying with insecticidal mists — Atlantic
5. or mist gray : a reddish gray that is bluer and paler than evenglow and bluer, lighter, and stronger than opal gray
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English misten, from Old English mistian, from mist, n.
intransitive verb
1. : to be or become misty : form a mist
it's misting from the marshes or fogging from the sea — T.H.Fielding
it was still only misting when they took their seats — Pasadena (Calif.) Independent
2. : to become dim or blurred
old eyes misted as he recalled the most important and tragic day of his life — Barnaby Conrad
transitive verb
: to cover with or as if with mist : cloud , dim
damp mists her glasses — R.P.Warren
III. abbreviation
Etymology: Latin mistura
mixture
IV. noun
: a drink of alcoholic liquor (as Scotch) served over cracked ice and garnished with a twist of lemon peel