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mizzle

verb

  1. rain lightly
L1522644 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈmɪzl/ / /ˈmɪzəl/

noun

Etymology: From Late Middle English misellen (“to drizzle”), cognate with Low German miseln, musseln (“to mizzle”), Dutch miezelen (“to drizzle, rain gently”). Of obscure origin, possibly a frequentative related to the base of mist; or, related to Middle Low German mes (“urine”), Middle Dutch mes, mis (“urine”), both from Old Saxon mehs (“urine”), from Proto-Germanic *mihstuz, *mihstaz, *mihsk- (“urine”), from *mīganą (“to urinate”), from Proto-Indo-European *meiǵʰ-, *omeiǵʰ- (“to urinate”). Compare also English micturate (“to urinate”), Old Frisian mese (“urine”), Low German miegen (“to urinate”), Dutch mijgen (“to urinate”), Danish mige (“to urinate”).

  1. Misty rain; drizzle.
  2. A mist; a fine spray; a spattering.

    But he knows he need never be in dread of your blade making a mizzle of his blood or of vengeance arriving ever from this quarter[.]

    When a gawping Byzantine head bounced past his feet, and a mizzle of blood settled upon him, something changed.

verb

Etymology: Unknown. Perhaps from Shelta mi(e)sli (“go”).

  1. To abscond, scram, flee.

    As long as George IV could reign, he reigned, and then he mizzled.

    “Now you may mizzle, Jemmy (as we say at Court), and if Mr. Copperfield will take the chair I’ll operate on him.”

  2. To yield.
  3. To muddle or confuse. (Probably from a misreading of past tense/participle misled.)