† misimprovementn.
Obsolete.
1. Failure to make proper use of something, misuse; an instance of this. Chiefly U.S. in later use.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > misuse > [noun]
abusion?1387
misusing1395
misusea1398
abusingc1450
abuse?1473
misordering1526
abusage1548
misusage1567
misemployment1597
missaw1614
misimprovement1644
abusivenessa1677
misemploying1686
violation1795
1644 H. Parker Jus Populi 41 If the commonwealth hath an interest in slaves, how can such mis-improvement thereof be answered to God?
1687 A. Shields Hind let Loose i. 117 O! who can remember the Glory of that Day, without a melting heart, in reflecting upon what we have lost, and let go, and sinned away, by our Misimprovements?
1695 Cullen Kirk Session Rec. 13 Jan. in Dict. Older Sc. Tongue That no bailie in Cullen did ever give saising or infeftment to any of the fornamed persons..since the missimprovement therof..And none hes thriven on it, since its missimprovement.
a1748 I. Watts Improvem. Mind ii. iv, in Coll. Wks. (1753) V. 336 We are justly chargeable with criminal sloth and misimprovement of the talents.
1774 A. Adams in J. Adams & A. Adams Familiar Lett. (1876) 48 The misimprovement of our great advantages.
1806 A. Stewart in Mem. (1822) 232 Our sin in the misimprovement of former privileges.
1838 W. M. Lowrie Let. 1 Jan. in Mem. (1849) ii. 25 Of many misimprovements and much waste of precious time, I have to accuse myself.
2. A defect or failing resulting from an attempt at improvement. rare.
ΚΠ
1888 P. Schaff Hist. Christian Church VI. 489 Hymnbooks with all sorts of misimprovements were introduced [in the Lutheran service in the 18th century].
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2002; most recently modified version published online December 2018).
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n.1644