misseek

English

Etymology

mis- +‎ seek

Verb

misseek (third-person singular simple present misseeks, present participle misseeking, simple past and past participle missought)

1. (obsolete) To seek for wrongly.
   • 1840, Jean Calvin, A commentary on the Psalms of David:

     Still this doctrine must be extended further: for thereby we gather generally that God is missought under outward shapes, which have no likeness or affinity to his heavenly glory.

   • 1841 April, “What is Earthly Happiness”, in The New York Visitor and Lady's Parlor Magazine, page 315:

     Yet, when missought, she is often found, and when unexpected, often obtained; while those who seek for her most diligently, fail the most because they seek her where she is not.

   • 1901, Sirt Thomas Wyatt, “Of the Mean and Sure Estate (written to John Poyntz)”, in Edward Arber, editor, The Surrey & Wyatt anthology, 1509-1547, page 7:

     And yet the thing that most is your desire, Ye do misseek, with more travail and care!

   • 1908 March, Aurelius E. Philips, “Victorious Though Defeated”, in The University of Tennessee Magazine, volume 21, number 6, page 147:

     What missought pleasure or ill-timed errand could have brought them out on such a night?