miscarry

Verb

miscarry (third-person singular simple present miscarries, present participle miscarrying, simple past and past participle miscarried)

1. (obsolete) To have an unfortunate accident of some kind; to be killed, or come to harm.
2. (archaic) To go astray; to do something wrong.
3. To have a miscarriage; to involuntarily abort a foetus.
4. To fail to achieve some purpose; to be unsuccessful, to go wrong (of a business, project etc.).
   • So, if a Sonne that is by his Father ſent about Merchandize, doe ſinfully miſcarry vpon the Sea; the imputation of his vvickedneſſe, by your rule, ſhould be impoſed vpon his Father that ſent him: […]1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...
   • Pluto observing, since the Peace,
     The Burial Article decrease;
     And, vext to see Affairs miscarry,
     Declar'd in Council, Death must marry […]1730, Jonathan Swift, “Death And Daphne,”, in Some Verse Pieces
5. Of a letter etc.: to fail to reach its intended recipient.
   • Sir Nathaniel, this Biron is one of the votaries with the king; and here he hath framed a letter to a sequent of the stranger queen's, which accidentally, or by the way of progression, hath miscarried.c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
   • It likewise alluded to several letters, which, as it appeared to me, must have miscarried or have been intercepted,[…].1817 December 31 (indicated as 1818), [Walter Scott], chapter V, in Rob Roy. […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co. […]; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees...