miscarry

present singular third person miscarries · participle present miscarrying · participle past miscarried · past miscarried

1. obsoleteTo have an unfortunate accident of some kind; to be killed, or come to harm.First known use 14th–18th c.
2. archaicTo go astray; to do something wrong.First known use 14th c.
3. To have a miscarriage; to involuntarily abort a foetus.First known use 16th c.
4. To fail to achieve some purpose; to be unsuccessful, to go wrong (of a business, project etc.).First known use 16th c.

   Pluto observing, since the Peace, The Burial Article decrease; And, vext to see Affairs miscarry, Declar'd in Council, Death must marry […]

   1730, Jonathan Swift, “Death And Daphne,”, in Some Verse Pieces

   2 more examples

   So, if a Sonne that is by his Father ſent about Merchandize, doe ſinfully miſcarry vpon the Sea; the imputation of his vvickedneſſe, by your rule, ſhould be impoſed vpon his Father that ſent him: […]

   1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 84, column 2

   God at one time purposed to make mankind immortal, but the benevolent scheme miscarried through the fault of the messenger to whom he had entrusted the gospel message.

   1918, James George Frazer, Folk-Lore In The Old Testament, volume 1, page 65

5. Of a letter etc.: to fail to reach its intended recipient.First known use 16th c.

   It likewise alluded to several letters, which, as it appeared to me, must have miscarried or have been intercepted,[…].

   1817 December 31 (indicated as 1818), [Walter Scott], chapter V, in Rob Roy. […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co. […]; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page 88

   2 more examples

   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.

   c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)

   Since the luckless Friday morning he had neither been seen nor heard of; day after day, Adeline had trusted to receive a letter, but in those times posts were slow and uncertain, messengers and couriers were often employed instead; and the hope might reasonably be clung to of a letter having miscarried.

   1842, [Katherine] Thomson, chapter VII, in Widows and Widowers. A Romance of Real Life., volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 144