mislay

present singular third person mislays · participle present mislaying · participle past mislaid · past mislaid

1. transitiveTo leave or lay something in the wrong place and then forget where one put it.

   He cannot see well, mislays his glasses, and frequently mismends the nets.

   1971, Nancy Anne Dyer, Tokugawa to Meiji Japan: a Resource Guide for Teachers, page 140

2. obsoletetransitiveTo err in placing something.

   Oh heavens! her grief miſlayes her noble reaſon, what ſhall we do

   1671, J[ohn] Crown, “The Third Act”, in Juliana or The Princess of Poland. A Tragicomedy. […], London: […] Will. Cademan […] and Will. Birch […], page 35

   4 more examples

   [F]ire, if it be well and rightly vſed, burneth in the houſe to the good and pꝛofit of the familie: but if miſlayed oꝛ abuſed, burneth the houſe to the vndoing of the inhabitantes: […]

   1601, William Barlow, A Sermon Preached at Paules Crosse, on the First Sunday in Lent; […], London: […] [R. Read] for Mathew Law, […], signature C iii., recto

   You haue miſ-caſt in your Arithmetike, / Miſ-laid your Counters, groapingly yee ſeeke / In nights blacke darknes for the ſecret things / Seal’d in the Casket of the King of Kings; […]

   1605, W. Salustius, Lord of Bartas [i.e., Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas], “[The First Weeke: or Birth of the World. […]] The First Day of the First Weeke.”, in Iosuah Syluester, transl., Bartas His Deuine Weekes & Workes […], London: […] Humfrey Lownes […], →OCLC, page 15

   First, Scio cui credidi, I know whom I have believed in: I have not mislaid my foundation; my foundation is Christ; […]

   a. 1632 (date written), John Donne, “Sermon CX. Preached to the King, at the Court. The Second Sermon on Genesis i. 26.”, in Henry Alford, editor, The Works of John Donne, D.D., […], volume IV, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 532

   This being ſo that Defects and Weakneſs in Mens Underſtandings, as well as other Faculties, come from want of a right uſe of their own Minds, I am apt to think the fault is generally miſlaid upon Nature, and there is often a Complaint of want of Parts when the fault lies in want of a due improvement of them.

   a. 1705, John Locke, “Of the Conduct of the Understanding”, in Posthumous Works of Mr. John Locke: […], London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], published 1706, →OCLC, § 4, pages 19–20