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Webster 1913 Edition


Miscarry

Mis-car′ry

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Miscarried
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Miscarrying
.]
1.
To carry, or go, wrong; to fail of reaching a destination, or fail of the intended effect; to be unsuccessful; to suffer defeat.
My ships have all
miscarried
.
Shakespeare
The cardinal’s letters to the pope
miscarried
.
Shakespeare

Webster 1828 Edition


Miscarry

MISCAR'RY

,
Verb.
I.
To fail of the intended effect; not to succeed; to be unsuccessful; to suffer defeat; applied to persons or undertakings, and to things. We say, a project, scheme, design, enterprise, attempt, has miscarried.
Have you not heart of Frederick, the great soldier, who miscarried at sea?
My ships have all miscarried.
1.
To bring forth young before the proper time; to suffer abortion.

Definition 2024


miscarry

miscarry

English

Verb

miscarry (third-person singular simple present miscarries, present participle miscarrying, simple past and past participle miscarried)

  1. (obsolete) To have an unfortunate accident of some kind; to be killed, or come to harm. [14th-18th c.]
  2. (now rare) To go astray; to do something wrong. [from 14th c.]
  3. To have a miscarriage; to abort a foetus, usually without intent to do so. [from 16th c.]
  4. To fail to achieve some purpose; to be unsuccessful, to go wrong (of a business, project etc.). [from 16th c.]
  5. Of a letter etc.: to fail to reach its intended recipient. [from 16th c.]
    • William Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost
      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.
    • 1817, Walter Scott, Rob Roy, II.1:
      It likewise alluded to several letters—which, it appeared to me, must have miscarried or been intercepted [...].

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