misfilm

Verb

misfilm (third-person singular simple present misfilms, present participle misfilming, simple past and past participle misfilmed)

1. To make an error when microfilming documents.
   • But you must record those documents very precisely indeed, because if you happen to misfilm one of those documents, effectively it's lost for all time, because the chances of actually getting back to it must be considered almost nil.1979, Records Management, page 30
   • III also believes that some kind of factor should have been applied in evaluating REI's benchmark results to account for possible paper jams just as III was penalized for costs associated with manually reprocessing individually misfilmed documents.1979, United States. General Accounting Office, Decisions of the Comptroller General of the United States, page 649
2. To make a poor cinematic adaptation of
   • Paul Dehn pulled no punches when he talked about 'Misfilming Shakespeare' on May 29th. He was vehement in his dislike of Orson Welles's versions of Macbeth and Othello.1958, Books - Issues 315-326, page 146
   • Filmmakers, who know they can't take their films back ( “I misfilmed?” ) , routinely spend six months editing until they have revised a film into the precise form that they want it to take.1985, Eugene Hammond, Informative Writing, page 159

Noun

IPA/ˈmɪsfɪlm/

misfilm (plural misfilms)

1. An error that occurs when microfilming.
   • Although rotary cameras are quicker than flat beds, microfilm bureaux often choose to use the latter. This is because preparation time is less; it is not necessary to mend all tears, nor to remove all staples, and there is less chance of misfilms.1996, Business Archives - Issues 71-74, page 38