MISCHIEFED
MISCHIEF
Mis"chief, n. Etym: [OE. meschef bad result, OF. meschief; pref. mes-
(L. minus less) + chief end, head, F. chef chief. See Minus, and
Chief.]
1. Harm; damage; esp., disarrangement of order; trouble or vexation
caused by human agency or by some living being, intentionally or not;
often, calamity, mishap; trivial evil caused by thoughtlessness, or
in sport. Chaucer.
Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs. Ps. lii. 2.
The practice whereof shall, I hope, secure me from many mischiefs.
Fuller.
2. Cause of trouble or vexation; trouble. Milton.
The mischief was, these allies would never allow that the common
enemy was subdued. Swift.
To be in mischief, to be doing harm or causing annoyance.
– To make mischief, to do mischief, especially by exciting
quarrels.
– To play the mischief, to cause great harm; to throw into
confusion. [Colloq.]
Syn.
– Damage; harm; hurt; injury; detriment; evil; ill.
– Mischief, Damage, Harm. Damage is an injury which diminishes the
value of a thing; harm is an injury which causes trouble or
inconvenience; mischief is an injury which disturbs the order and
consistency of things. We often suffer damage or harm from accident,
but mischief always springs from perversity or folly.
Mis"chief, v. t.
Definition: To do harm to. [Obs.] Milton.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition