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miscalculate
American Revolution, one of a group of men who were not official soldiers but who could be ready in one minute to fight against the government. Today the word is sometimes used in advertising by companies who want to show how quick their service is.
**min·utes** /ˈmɪnɪts/ *n* [(the)P(*of*)] an official written record of what is said at a meeting, and what decisions are taken there: *Before the committee started its work, the minutes of the last meeting were read out.* ▸ **to take** (=write) **minutes**
**mi·nu·ti·ae** /maɪˈnjuːʃɪəi, mɪ-|ˈnuː-/ *n* [(the)P(*of*)] small exact details that often do not seem worth considering: *These are the broad outlines of what I want; I'll leave it to you to work out the minutiae.*
**minx** /mɪŋks/ *n* *old-fash derog, often humor* a disrespectful young girl
**mips** /mɪps/ *n tech* millions of instructions per second; a unit for measuring the speed of a computer: *Their new range runs at 25 mips.*
**mir·a·cle** /ˈmɪrəkəl/ *n* **1** an action done by especially a holy person that is impossible according to the ordinary laws of nature: *According to the Bible, Christ worked/performed many miracles, such as turning water into wine.* **2** a wonderful unexpected event: *It's a miracle you weren't killed!* | *It'll need a miracle to save the company from ruin.* | *an economic miracle* | *the miracles of modern science* | *a miracle cure* —**culous** /mɪˈrækjʊləs/ *adj*: *a miraculous escape/recovery* —**culously** *adv*: *It was a terrible explosion but, miraculously, no one was killed.*
**ˈmiracle play** also **mystery play** *n* a theatrical play often performed in the Middle Ages, based on stories from the Bible or on the lives of holy men and women ➔ compare MORALITY PLAY
**ˈMiracle Whip** *trademark* a type of thick white SAUCE similar to MAYONNAISE, with a sweet and sour taste, used especially in the US on SANDWICHES and SALADS
**mi·rage** /ˈmɪrɑːʒ||mɪˈrɑːʒ/ *n* **1** a strange effect of hot air conditions in a desert, in which objects appear which are not really there **2** a dream, hope, or wish that cannot come true: *pursuing the mirage of world peace*
**Mi·ran·da** /mɪˈrændə/ the daughter of PROSPERO in the play *The Tempest* by William SHAKESPEARE
**Miranda, Carmen** (1913-55) a Brazilian actress and singer, who appeared in MUSICALS (=films that use singing and dancing to tell a story) and was known for her hats decorated with fruit
**Miˈran·da de·ci·sion, the** a 1966 decision by the US SUPREME COURT that said it was necessary for police, when arresting (ARREST) people, to inform them of their legal rights
**Miˈran·da rights** in the US, the legal rights that a person being arrested (ARREST) by the police must be told about. These include the right to remain silent and the right to get advice from a lawyer. These rights were established by the Miranda decision of the US Supreme Court in 1966, in the case of *Miranda v. Arizona*.
**MIRAS** /ˈmaɪræs, -rəs/ *n* [U] *abbrev. for* Mortgage Interest Relief at Source; a system used in the UK until 2000, by which someone who had a MORTGAGE (=money borrowed from a bank etc to buy a house) was allowed to pay less income tax. The borrower was given TAX RELIEF (=the right to pay less tax) on the INTEREST that he or she paid on the mortgage, and this reduce the cost of the mortgage payments.
**mire**¹ /ˈmaɪəʳ/ *n* [U] *especially lit* deep mud: *like pigs in the mire* | (*fig.*) *His name was dragged through the mire.* (=talked about publicly in a way that brought shame on him) | (*fig.*) *With each probing question he was getting sucked deeper into the mire.* (=more and more caught up in difficulties) —**miry** *adj*
**mire**² *v* [T] *especially lit, rare* **1** [often *in*] to cause (a person) to be caught up in difficulties **2** to make dirty with mud
**Mi·ró, Jo·an** /mɪˈrəʊ, ˌʒuːɑːn/ (1893-1983) a Spanish SURREALIST painter, famous for his use of bright colours and ABSTRACT shapes
**mir·ror**¹ /ˈmɪrəʳ/ *n* **1** (*often in comb.*) a piece of glass, or other shiny or polished surface, that REFLECTS (=throws back) images: *The driver saw the police car in his mirror.* | *a shaving mirror* | *a full-length mirror* (=tall enough to REFLECT a standing person) **2** [(*of*)] an exact or close representation (of something): *This newspaper claims to be the mirror of public opinion.* (=claims to express what the people are really thinking) **3** *mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?* a question asked by the wicked queen in the story of Snow White. The queen expects the mirror to say that she is the most beautiful of all, but the mirror tells her that Snow White is the most beautiful. This phrase is often used in different ways in jokes, advertising, newspapers etc. ➔ see also SNOW WHITE
**mirror**² *v* [T] **1** to give an exact or close representation of: *Do these opinion polls really mirror what people are thinking?* **2** to be similar to, especially as if by copying: *My experience of working in this area closely mirrors your own.*
**Mirror, The** another name for *The Daily Mirror*
**ˈMirror Group ˌNewspapers** also the **ˈMirror Group**, *abbrev.* **MGN** a large British company that owns several newspapers, including *The Daily Mirror, The Daily Record,* and *The People*
**ˈmirror ˌimage** *n* [(*of*)] **1** an image of something in which the right side appears on the left, and the left side on the right **2** something, such as an object or a situation, that looks like or is very similar to something else, but whose various parts may sometimes be arranged in a different or opposite way
**mirth** /mɜːθ||mɜːrθ/ *n* [U] *especially lit* happiness and laughter —**ful** *adj* —**fully** *adv* —**less** *adj* —**lessly** *adv*
**MIRV** /mɜːv||mɜːrv/ *n abbrev. for* Multiple Independently-Targeted Reentry Vehicle; a MISSILE (=a flying weapon) that carries several WARHEADS (=explosive parts). Each of the warheads can be directed to hit a different place.
**mis-** ➔ see WORD FORMATION TABLE
**MIS** /ˌem aɪ ˈes/ Management Information System; a group of computer PROGRAMS that collect information from various business departments and arrange it in a way that is useful to business managers
**mis·ad·ven·ture** /ˌmɪsədventʃəʳ/ *n* [C;U] **1** *lit* (an) accident; (piece of) bad luck **2** *death by misadventure BrE law* accidental death
**mis·al·li·ance** /ˌmɪsəˈlaɪəns/ *n* an unsuitable uniting of people, especially an unsuitable marriage
**mis·an·thrope** /ˈmɪsənθrəʊp/ also **mis·an·thro·pist** /mɪsˈænθrəpɪst/ *n fml derog* a person who dislikes other people and would rather be alone ➔ compare MISOGYNIST —**thropic** /ˌmɪsənˈθrɒpɪk||-ˈθrɑː-/ *adj* —**thropically** /kli/ *adv*
**mis·an·thro·py** /mɪsˈænθrəpi/ *n* [U] *fml derog* dislike of people in general
**mis·ap·ply** /ˌmɪsəˈplaɪ/ *v* [T] to use wrongly or for a wrong purpose —**plication** /ˌmɪsæplɪˈkeɪʃən/ *n* [C;U(*of*)] *a misapplication of the law*
**mis·ap·pre·hend** /ˌmɪsæprɪˈhend/ *v* [T] *fml* to understand (something) wrongly: *The terms of the agreement must be quite explicit, so that there is no possibility of misapprehending them.*
**mis·ap·pre·hen·sion** /ˌmɪsæprɪˈhenʃən/ *n fml* a mistaken belief; misunderstanding: *He's not Mr Hart's brother? Then I've been (labouring) under a misapprehension.*
**mis·ap·pro·pri·ate** /ˌmɪsəˈprəʊpriət/ *v* [T] *fml or tech* to take dishonestly, especially for one's own use: *The lawyer was sent to prison for misappropriating the money placed in his care.* —**ation** /ˌmɪsəprəʊpriˈeɪʃən/ *n* [C;U(*of*)]
**mis·be·got·ten** /ˌmɪsbɪˈɡɒtən||-ˈɡɑː-/ *adj* [A] *derog or humor* **1** unlikely to succeed because badly planned or foolish: *his misbegotten scheme for selling fur coats during the summer* **2** (of a person) worthless; annoying: *Where's that misbegotten brother of yours?*
**mis·be·have** /ˌmɪsbɪˈheɪv/ *v* [I;T] to behave (oneself) badly: *Anyone in the crowd who misbehaves is quickly thrown out of the ground.*
**mis·be·ha·viour** *BrE* || **-vior** *AmE* /ˌmɪsbɪˈheɪvjəʳ/ *n* [U] bad behaviour
**misc.** written *abbrev. for* MISCELLANEOUS
**mis·cal·cu·late** /ˌmɪsˈkælkjʊleɪt/ *v* [I;T] **1** to calculate (figures, time etc) wrongly: *I missed the train because I'd miscalculated the time it would take me to reach the station.* **2** to