Mist

Pronunciation

• IPA: /mɪst/
• Rhymes: -ɪst
• Homophones: missed

Origin

From Middle English mist, from Old English mist ("mist; darkness; dimness (of eyesight)"), from Proto-Germanic *mihstaz ("mist, fog"), from Proto-Indo-European *migʰ-, *migʰ-lo- ("drizzle, fog"), from Proto-Indo-European *meygʰ- ("to flicker, blink, be dark; cloud, mist"). Cognate with Scots mist ("mist, fog"), West Frisian mist ("mist"), Dutch mist ("mist"), Low German Mist ("manure"), German Mist ("manure"), Swedish mist ("mist, fog"), Swedish mistur ("mist"), West Frisian miegelje ("to drizzle"), Dutch dialectal miggelen, miegelen ("to drizzle"), Lithuanian miglà ("fog"), Russian мгла (mgla, "fog, haze").

Full definition of mist

Noun

1. (uncountable) Water or other liquid finely suspended in air.It was difficult to see through the morning mist.
2. (countable) A layer of fine droplets or particles.There was an oily mist on the lens.
3. (figurative) Anything that dims or darkens, and obscures or intercepts vision.
• DrydenHis passion cast a mist before his sense.

Derived terms

• misty
• mists of time
• red mist

Verb

1. To form mist.It's misting this morning.
2. To spray fine droplets on, particularly of water.I mist my tropical plants every morning.
3. To cover with a mist.The lens was misted.
4. (of the eyes) To be covered by tears.My eyes misted when I remembered what had happened.

Derived terms

• mist over

Anagrams

• ISTM
• stim