Meanings
plural miskennings
- lawA wrong citation.
And that they be not made to suffer on account of miskenning in their suits, that is, if they have not pleaded exactly right.
2010, Adolphus Ballard, James Tait, British Borough Charters 1216-13071 more example
So that by about 1300, Dublin (b) or Waterford spoke with authority thus : "... it may be a cause of miskenning if perchance it happens that a man sues at the bar and the other party answers him, [...]
2005, Herman Cohen, A History Of The English Bar And Attornatus To 1450
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of misken
Origin
- Old Englishmiscennung“a mistake or variation in pleading before a court, a fine exacted for such a mistake”
- Middle Englishmiskenninge
- Englishmiskenning
From Middle English miskenninge, from Old English miscennung (“a mistake or variation in pleading before a court, a fine exacted for such a mistake”), equivalent to misken + -ing or mis- + kenning. Cognate with Dutch miskenning (“misunderstanding, mistreatment”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
miskenning. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/miskenning
“miskenning.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/miskenning. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “miskenning,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/miskenning.
Source: miskenning on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.