misfire: Meaning and Definition of

mis•fire

Pronunciation: (v.mis-fir'n.mis'fīr&sec), [key]
— v., n. -fired, -fir•ing,
—v.i.
  1. (of a rifle or gun or of a bullet or shell) to fail to fire or explode.
  2. (of an internal-combustion engine) to fail to ignite properly or when expected.
  3. to fail to achieve the desired result, effect, etc.: His criticisms completely misfired.
—n.
  1. an act or instance of misfiring.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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