mistinessn.
/ˈmɪstɪnᵻs/, U.S. /ˈmɪstinᵻs/ 1.
a. The quality or condition of being misty; dimness, obscurity; an instance of this. Also concrete: vapour, haze, mist.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > weather and the atmosphere > weather > cloud > mist > [noun] > mistiness
mistinessa1382
flocculence1878
the world > matter > gas > [noun] > fumes or vapour > water in the form of > vapour or mist
misteOE
gum1513
mistiness1626
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) : Prov. (Bodl. 959) vii. 9 Þe day waxynge to euen in þe nyȝtis derknessis & mystynesse.
a1425 (a1382) Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Corpus Oxf.) Deut. iv. 11 There weren in it [sc. Sinai] derknessis and clowde and mystynes [a1425 L.V. myist; L. caligo].
1583 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Deuteronomie xxii. 130 God..did set a Cloude darkenesse and mistinesse before him.
1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §91 The Mistinesse scattereth and breaketh up suddenly.
1656 H. Jeanes Mixture Scholasticall Divinity 38 The cloudinesse, and mistinesse of the aire.
1747 S. Richardson Clarissa I. xliv. 311 Mistinesses of all the colours in the rainbow twinkling upon my deluged eye.
1838 G. P. R. James Robber I. iii. 39 The mistiness of the mid-day sunshine.
1863 M. E. Braddon Eleanor's Victory i The red August sunset was melting into grey mistiness.
1915 W. Cather Song of Lark i. xvi. 122 The night of high plains where there is no moistness or mistiness in the atmosphere.
1990 A. Leonard Gate-crashing Dream Party 149 Where the wall should be was a space, a mist... And Mr Fry was floating out there in the mistiness.
b. With reference to the eyes or sight.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of eye > disordered vision > [noun] > dimness or poor vision
dimnessc825
misteOE
mistinessa1382
scotomiaa1400
scotomya1400
obfuscation?a1425
scotoma1543
purblindness1552
sand-blindness1552
caligation1615
caliginousness1620
weak-sightedness1632
cecutiency1646
caliginosity1657
dimsightedness1662
dim1726
caligo1801
asthenopia1875
greying out?1942
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1969) Isa. xxix. 18 Fro derknesses & mystynesses, þe eȝen of blynde men shul seen.
1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. i. f. 89 A heavisome mistinesse is cast before our eyes.
1876 T. Bryant Pract. Surg. (ed. 2) I. viii. 298 The..extent of the mistiness or obscurity is governed by the..extent of the impaired portion of retina.
1992 I. Gower Shoemaker's Daughter (BNC) 122 The mistiness seemed to well from the maid's eyes.
2. In extended use: obscurity or vagueness, esp. of language or thought.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > obscurity > [noun]
difficultyc1405
mistiheadc1425
darknessc1450
obscureness1509
obscuritya1522
unclearness1574
unplainness1619
abstruseness1628
umbragec1642
abstrusity1649
imperspicuity1659
reconditeness1779
mistiness1816
crampness1840
recondity1856
1577 H. I. tr. H. Bullinger 50 Godlie Serm. I. i. iii. sig. B.iiijv/1 The holy Prophetes of God..did not call the worde of God..darkenesse, obscurenesse, or mistinesse.
1816 J. Gilchrist Philos. Etymol. 40 If he makes use of a little metaphysical mistiness.
1836 E. Howard Rattlin xx I cannot even shelter myself under the mistiness of the peremptory we.
1898 Pall Mall Mag. Feb. 250 In the mistiness of waking thought.
1989 Economist 25 Mar. 16/2 Geography lets Ireland take a vague view of where neutrality ends and security begins. For Austria..such mistiness is out.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.a1382