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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

misbeat en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈmɪsbiːt/
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From mis- + beat.

Meanings

  1. A false, wrong, or incorrect beat; a beat in the wrong time or rhythm.
    • Was it that same phial of precious ichor, still inside me, that spilled in the cinema that afternoon, and that I carry in me yet, and that yet will overflow at the slightest movement, the slightest misbeat of my heart? 2007, John Banville, Eclipse: A Novel:
    • Leigh's heart gave a little misbeat as she watched the exchange. 2001, Gayle G. Roper, Spring Rain:
    • How could so much warmth and unassuming gentleness be subtracted from the world by the simple misbeat of an organ? 2011, Susan Donovan, Celeste Bradley, A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
misbeats Number=Plur lexicographic

misbeat en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /mɪsˈbiːt/

Etymology

From mis- + beat.

Meanings

  1. (intransitive, transitive) To beat out of rhythm; beat incorrectly.
    • The assistant's role is not a minor one: When they become shaman, after they start in, his assistants have to know just what song to sing and how to beat the drum. If they misbeat the drum, the shaman just become normal again. 1996, David Levinson, Religion: a cross-cultural encyclopedia:
    • “I fear he will not be with us beyond the winter. He has already had two problems with his heart, which grows continually weaker.” “How weak?” “Twice it has misbeat. The third time may prove fatal.” 2000, Peter Tremayne, Hemlock at Vespers: fifteen Sister Fidelma mysteries:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
misbeaten Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
misbeat Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part colloquial lexicographic
misbeat Tense=Past lexicographic
misbeats Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
misbeating Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic