Etymology From Middle English myschef, meschef, meschief, mischef, from Old French meschief, from meschever (“to bring to grief”), from mes- (“badly”) + chever (“happen; come to a head”), from Vulgar Latin *capare, from Latin caput (“head”).
John's mischief, tying his shoelaces together, irked George at first.
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Collective A group or a pack of rats.
Kirac, the leader of the rats under his charge, speaks to the major through his telepathic abilities that manifested after the alien virus infected him and his mischief of rats.2014, G. W. Rennie, The Rat Chronicles, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 21:
A group of rats is not a herd or a gaggle, but a pack or a mischief of rats. Rats in general are omnivorous, meaning they will eat almost anything.2015, Rachel Smith, John Davidson, Rats For Kids, Mendon Cottage Books, →ISBN, page 6:
› Harm or injury:
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Archaic Harm or trouble caused by an agent or brought about by a particular cause.
She had mischief in her heart.
Sooner or later he'll succeed in doing some serious mischief.
4 more examples
Was I the Cauſe of Miſchief, or the Man / Whoſe lawlesſ Luſt the bloody War began?1697, Virgil, “The Tenth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 502, lines 139–140:
I have been tired in history with the perpetual folly of those states, who call in foreigners to assist them against a common enemy: but the mischief was, these allies would never be brought to allow, that the common enemy was quite subdued. And they had reason; for it proved at last, that one part of the common enemy was those who called them in, and so the allies became at length the masters.1718 December 14 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Jonathan Swift, “A Letter Concerning the Sacramental Test”, in Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume IV, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC, page 435:
Vanity working on a weak head, produces every sort of mischief.1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter 8, in Emma: […], volume I, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC:
I fear this means that there is some mischief afoot.1914 September – 1915 May, Arthur Conan Doyle, chapter 1, in The Valley of Fear: A Sherlock Holmes Novel, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, published 27 February 1915, →OCLC:
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Archaic An injury or an instance of harm or trouble caused by a person or other agent or cause.
It may end in her doing a great mischief to herself—and perhaps to others too.
[R]eligion / Hides many mischiefs from suspicion.c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, →OCLC, Act I:
1 more example
I will heape mischiefes vpon them, I will spend mine arrowes vpon them.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 32:23:
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Law A criminal offence defined in various ways in various jurisdictions, sometimes including causing damage to another's property.
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Archaic A cause or agent of annoyance, harm or injury, especially a person who causes mischief.
To die like a man of honour, Sir Hargrave, you must have lived like one. You should be sure of your cause. But these pistols are too ready a mischief. Were I to meet you in your own way, Sir Hargrave, I should not expect, that a man so enraged would fire his over my head, as I should be willing to do mine over his. Life I would not put upon the perhaps involuntary twitch of a finger.1753 (indicated as 1754), [Samuel Richardson], The History of Sir Charles Grandison. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by C. Hitch and L. Hawes, […], →OCLC:
Epimetheus was scatter-brained and a mischief to men for having taken the woman [Pandora] that Zeus had formed.1993, Carlos Parada, Genealogic Guide to Greek Mythology, page 71:
"Not now, Smee," Hook said darkly. "He is only one, and I want to mischief all the seven. Scatter and look for them."1911, J[ames] M[atthew] Barrie, “The Island Come True”, in Peter and Wendy, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, page 86:
And so it hath been divers times; Men mischiefing the Jews to excuse their own Wickedness: as to instance one Precedent in the time of a certain King of Portugal.1708, John Dunton, The Phenix, page 403: