mischance

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman meschance, Old French meschance, meschaunce.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /mɪsˈtʃɑːns/

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Noun

mischance (countable and uncountable, plural mischances)

1. Bad luck, misfortune.
   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:

     But let this same be presently perform'd / Even when men's minds are wild, lest more mischance / On plots and errors happen.

   • 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 73, in The History of Pendennis. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:

     I write gaily enough, for there is no use in bewailing such a hopeless mischance.

2. A mishap, an unlucky circumstance.
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 3, member 3:

     He doth miraculously protect from thieves, incursions, sword, fire, and all violent mischances […]

Verb

mischance (third-person singular simple present mischances, present participle mischancing, simple past and past participle mischanced)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To undergo (a misfortune); to suffer (something unfortunate).

Anagrams

• mechanics