by mistake
By accident; without the intention to do so.
Today I took your packed lunch to work by mistake.
mistake
UK [mɪˈstɛjk] US [mɪˈsteɪk]
verb 4noun 2
Definitions
verb
1
To understand wrongly, taking one thing or person for another.
Sorry, I mistook you for my brother. You look very similar.
Don't mistake my kindness for weakness.
2
To misunderstand (someone).
Miſtake me not, my Lord, ’tis not my meaning / To raze one Title of your Honour out.
[…] at last she so evidently demonstrated her Affection to him to be much stronger than what she bore her own Son, that it was impossible to mistake her any longer.
3
To commit an unintentional error; to do or think something wrong.
Impoſe me to what penance your inuention / Can lay vpon my ſinne, yet ſinn’d I not / But in miſtaking.
1720, Jonathan Swift, “Letter to a Young Clergyman” in The Works of Jonathan Swift, London: Charles Elliot, 1784, Volume 10, pp. 6-7, No gentleman thinks it is safe or prudent to send a servant with a message, without repeating it more than once, and endeavouring to put it into terms brought down to the capacity of the bearer; yet, after all this care, it is frequent for servants to mistake, and sometimes occasion misunderstandings among friends […]
4
To take or choose wrongly.
The better act of purposes mistook / Is to mistake again; though indirect, / Yet indirection thereby grows direct,
The Spear with erring Haste mistook its way, But plung’d in Eniopeus’ Bosom lay.
noun
1
An error.
There were too many mistakes in the test, that unfortunately you failed.
He always did mistakes on purpose.
2
A pitch which was intended to be pitched in a hard-to-hit location, but instead ends up in an easy-to-hit place.
Your note
not saved0 chars