mislay

American  

[mis-ley] / mɪsˈleɪ /

verb (used with object)

mislaid, mislaying

1. to lose temporarily; misplace.

   He mislaid his keys.

2. to lay or place wrongly; arrange or situate improperly.

   to mislay linoleum.

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mislay British  

/ mɪsˈleɪ /

verb

1. to lose (something) temporarily, esp by forgetting where it is

2. to lay (something) badly

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Other Word Forms

• mislayer noun

Etymology

Origin of mislay

First recorded in 1350–1400, mislay is from Middle English mysse layen. See mis- ¹, lay ¹

Explanation

If you mislay something, you lose it temporarily. People who tend to mislay their house keys sometimes hide an extra key under a rock near the front door. If you mislay your cell phone inside, you can ask your brother to call your number. If your grandmother mislays her hearing aid, you'll have to shout and gesture until she finds it again. Mislay implies that you've put the lost object down somewhere, and you'll find it again soon. The word adds the "bad" or "wrong" prefix mis- to lay, from the Old English lecgan, "to place on the ground."

Example Sentences

If the clocks on those satellites stray by a millionth of a second, you'll mislay yourself by 200km or 300km.

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2019

If you’re easily offended or confused, mislay this book and go back to “All the Light We Cannot See.”

From Washington Post • May 12, 2015

The task isn't simply to avoid panic at the crucial juncture but to be sure not to mislay one's excrement in between times, while the opposing captain jiggles his field and the bowler runs up.

From The Guardian • Mar. 1, 2013

She would forget names once in a while and would mislay her car keys on occasion.

From New York Times • Jun. 21, 2010

They all knew what the almanac looked like; their miserably uncomfortable master seemed to mislay it with every full moon.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood