Dictionary

miscarry en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌmɪsˈkæɹi/ (UK, US)

Etymology

From Middle English miscarien. By surface analysis, mis- + carry.

Meanings

1. (obsolete) To have an unfortunate accident of some kind; to be killed, or come to harm.
2. (archaic) To go astray; to do something wrong.
3. To have a miscarriage; to involuntarily abort a foetus.
4. To fail to achieve some purpose; to be unsuccessful, to go wrong (of a business, project etc.).
   • Pluto observing, since the Peace, The Burial Article decrease; And, vext to see Affairs miscarry, Declar'd in Council, Death must marry […] 1730, Jonathan Swift, “Death And Daphne,”, in Some Verse Pieces:
   • So, if a Sonne that is by his Father ſent about Merchandize, doe ſinfully miſcarry vpon the Sea; the imputation of his vvickedneſſe, by your rule, ſhould be impoſed vpon his Father that ſent him: […] 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 84, column 2:
5. Of a letter etc.: to fail to reach its intended recipient.
   • Since the luckless Friday morning he had neither been seen nor heard of; day after day, Adeline had trusted to receive a letter, but in those times posts were slow and uncertain, messengers and couriers were often employed instead; and the hope might reasonably be clung to of a letter having miscarried. 1842, [Katherine] Thomson, chapter VII, in Widows and Widowers. A Romance of Real Life., volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 144:
   • Sir Nathaniel, this Biron is one of the votaries with the king; and here he hath framed a letter to a sequent of the stranger queen's, which accidentally, or by the way of progression, hath miscarried. c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
   • It likewise alluded to several letters, which, as it appeared to me, must have miscarried or have been intercepted,[…]. 1817 December 31 (indicated as 1818), [Walter Scott], chapter V, in Rob Roy. […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co. […]; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page 88:

Forms

Deriveds

miscarriage

Translations (52)

pl ronić (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · la aborior (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · ru име́ть вы́кидыш (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · yi מפּלען (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · pl poronić (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · da mislykkes (to fail to achieve) · ru терпеть неудачу (to fail to achieve) · pt abortar (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · ur حمل اسقاط ہونا (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · io abortar (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · th แท้ง (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · ur حمل ساقط ہونا (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · he הִפִּיל (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · ur حمل گرنا (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · ga beir go hanabaí (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · ur حمل ضائع ہونا (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · gl abortar (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · hu elvetél (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · ba төшөрөү (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · bg помятам (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · de misslingen (to fail to achieve) · bg пометна (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · sv misslyckas (to fail to achieve) · nb abortere (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · fi saada keskenmeno (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · nl een miskraam krijgen (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · fi epäonnistua (to fail to achieve) · bg не сполучвам (to fail to achieve) · ba һалыу (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · cs potratit (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · fr faire une fausse couche (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · nl mislukken (to fail to achieve) · cy golli (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · ur اخراج جنین ہونا (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · mi tahe (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · ga scar le clann (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · ar أَجْهَضَ (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · el αποβάλλω (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · nl een miskraam hebben (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · gl malparir (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · nb mislykkes (to fail to achieve) · ms gugur (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · nb spontanabortere (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · gl gorar (to fail to achieve) · gl espoltrar (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · hy վիժել (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · sv få missfall (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · bg абортирам (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · de eine Fehlgeburt haben (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · ru потерпеть неудачу (to fail to achieve) · it abortire (to involuntarily abort a foetus) · ur پیٹ گرنا (to involuntarily abort a foetus)