Confusing one person or thing for another, or misunderstanding something incorrectly.
From 'mistake,' which comes from Old Norse 'mistaka' (to take wrongly), combining 'mis-' (wrong) and 'take.' The present participle '-ing' is the standard English infinitive modifier.
The Old Norse origin of 'mistake' shows how Vikings and their language influenced English—even our words for getting things wrong come from this linguistic heritage.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.