miscarry

From Middle English miscarien, equivalent to mis- +‎ carry.

• (US, UK) IPA^(key): /ˌmɪsˈkæɹi/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æɹi

miscarry (third-person singular simple present miscarries, present participle miscarrying, simple past and past participle miscarried)

1. (obsolete) To have an unfortunate accident of some kind; to be killed, or come to harm.
2. (now rare) 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.).
   • 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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 84, column 2:

     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: […]

   • 1730, Jonathan Swift, “Death And Daphne,”, in Some Verse Pieces:

     Pluto observing, since the Peace,
     The Burial Article decrease;
     And, vext to see Affairs miscarry,
     Declar'd in Council, Death must marry […]

5. Of a letter etc.: to fail to reach its intended recipient.
   • 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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     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.

   • 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:

     It likewise alluded to several letters, which, as it appeared to me, must have miscarried or have been intercepted, […].

   • 1842, Thomson, chapter VII, in Widows and Widowers. A Romance of Real Life., volume II, London: Richard Bentley, , →OCLC, page 144:

     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.

• miscarriage