Miss — Defs

01 n. A title of courtesy prefixed to the name of a girl or a woman who has not been married. See Mistress, 5.

pl. Misses ((mĭs"sĕz))

1.
A title of courtesy prefixed to the name of a girl or a woman who has not been married. See Mistress, 5. See: Mistress
2.
A young unmarried woman or a girl; as, she is a miss of sixteen.
“Gay vanity, with smiles and kisses, Was busy 'mongst the maids and misses.” — Cawthorn.
3.
A kept mistress. See Mistress, 4.[Obs.] See: Mistress
4.
In the game of three-card loo, an extra hand, dealt on the table, which may be substituted for the hand dealt to a player.(Card Playing)

02 v. t. To fail of hitting, reaching, getting, finding, seeing, hearing, etc.; as, to miss the mark one shoots at; to miss the train by being late;…

imp. & p. p. Missed; p. pr. & vb. n. Missing

1.
To fail of hitting, reaching, getting, finding, seeing, hearing, etc.; as, to miss the mark one shoots at; to miss the train by being late; to miss opportunites of getting knowledge; to miss the point or meaning of something said.
“When a man misses his great end, happiness, he will acknowledge he judged not right.” — Locke.
2.
To omit; to fail to have or to do; to get without; to dispense with; -- now seldom applied to persons.
“She would never miss, one day, A walk so fine, a sight so gay.” — Prior.

“We cannot miss him; he does make our fire, Fetch in our wood.” — Shak.
3.
To discover the absence or omission of; to feel the want of; to mourn the loss of; to want; as, to miss an absent loved one.
“Neither missed we anything . . . Nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him.” — 1 Sam. xxv. 15, 21.

“What by me thou hast lost, thou least shalt miss.” — Milton.

Phrases & compounds

To miss stays — See under Stay.

03 v. i. To fail to hit; to fly wide; to deviate from the true direction.

1.
To fail to hit; to fly wide; to deviate from the true direction.
“Men observe when things hit, and not when they miss.” — Bacon.

“Flying bullets now, To execute his rage, appear too slow; They miss, or sweep but common souls away.” — Waller.
2.
To fail to obtain, learn, or find; -- with of.
“Upon the least reflection, we can not miss of them.” — Atterbury.
3.
To go wrong; to err.[Obs.]
“Amongst the angels, a whole legion Of wicked sprites did fall from happy bliss; What wonder then if one, of women all, did miss?” — Spenser.
4.
To be absent, deficient, or wanting.[Obs.]
“What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.” — Shak.

04 n. The act of missing; failure to hit, reach, find, obtain, etc.

1.
The act of missing; failure to hit, reach, find, obtain, etc.
2.
Loss; want; felt absence.[Obs.]
“There will be no great miss of those which are lost.” — Locke.
3.
Mistake; error; fault.
“He did without any great miss in the hardest points of grammar.” — Ascham.
4.
Harm from mistake.[Obs.]