n. (Law), Malicious and willful destructionof or injury to the property of others; -- it is an offense at common law. Wharton.
n. [ OE. meschance, OF. mescheance. ] Ill luck; ill fortune; mishap. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]
Never come mischance between us twain. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. i. To happen by mischance. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Unlucky. R. Browning. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t. To characterize falsely or erroneously; to give a wrong character to. [ 1913 Webster ]
They totally mischaracterize the action. Eton. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t. To charge erroneously, as in an account. --
n. [ OE. meschef bad result, OF. meschief; pref. mes- (L. minus less) + chief end, head, F. chef chief. See Minus, and Chief. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs. Ps. lii. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]
The practice whereof shall, I hope, secure me from many mischiefs. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]
The mischief was, these allies would never allow that the common enemy was subdued. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]
To be in mischief,
To make mischief,
To play the mischief,
v. t. To do harm to. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Mischievous. [ R. ] Lydgate. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Mischievous. [ Obs. ] Foote. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. One who makes mischief; one who excites or instigates quarrels or enmity. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Causing harm; exciting enmity or quarrels. Rowe. --
a. Causing mischief; harmful; hurtful; -- now often applied where the evil is done carelessly or in sport;
This false, wily, doubling disposition is intolerably mischievous to society. South. [ 1913 Webster ]
--
n. See Mishna. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. See Mishnic. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t.
v. i. To make a wrong choice. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t. To christen wrongly. [ 1913 Webster ]