Incorrectly understood the meaning of something written or said; or interpreted something in the wrong way.
Compound word from 'mis-' (wrong, bad) from Old English 'mis-' and 'read' from Old English 'rǽdan' meaning 'to advise' or 'interpret.' The compound emerged in Middle English as a way to express incorrect interpretation.
Interestingly, the Old English root for 'read' didn't originally mean 'look at letters'—it meant 'to interpret or explain,' so 'misread' is about getting the interpretation wrong, not just the words!
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