something you do, say, or think that is not correct and often causes a problem or an unwanted result
I made a silly mistake on my math test and lost two points.
Forgetting your keys is a common mistake.
✦ From Old Norse ‘mistaka’ meaning “to take in error” (mis- ‘wrongly’ + taka ‘take’). The noun sense arose in late Middle English.
to think wrongly that someone or something is another person or thing
Many people mistake me for my older brother.
He mistook the salt for sugar and ruined the soup.
✦ From Old Norse ‘mistaka’ meaning “take wrongly”. The verb entered Middle English in the 14th century.
to understand something wrongly or give it the wrong meaning
Please don’t mistake my silence as disapproval.
She mistook the directions and ended up at the wrong address.
✦ Same Old Norse root as other senses, with meaning extended to wrong understanding by the 17th century.
