Search results for 'miss':

miss¹ verb (misses, missed, missing) 1 tr & intr to fail to hit or catch something • missed the ball. 2 to fail to get on something • missed my train. 3 to fail to take advantage of something • missed your chance. 4 to feel or regret the absence or loss of someone or something • I miss you when you're away. 5 to notice the absence of someone or something. 6 to fail to hear or see something • missed his last remark. 7 to refrain from going to (a place or an event) • I'll have to miss the next class. 8 to avoid or escape (especially a specified danger) • just missed being run over. 9 intrans said of an engine: to fail to burn fuel at the right time. noun (misses) a failure to hit or catch something, etc. missable adj. give something a miss colloq to avoid it or refrain from it • I'd better give pudding a miss. miss the boat or bus colloq to miss an opportunity, especially by being too slow to act.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon missan.

miss² noun 1 a girl or unmarried woman. 2 (Miss) a term used when addressing an unmarried woman (especially in front of her surname). See also Ms. 3 (Miss) used by children: a term used when addressing a female school teacher, whether married or not. 4 (Miss) a title formerly given to a beauty queen and used in front of the name of the country, region, etc that she represents • Miss World • Miss France. 5 sometimes derog a girl, especially one who behaves in a specified way • thinks she's little miss perfect.
ETYMOLOGY: 17c: an abbreviation of mistress.