accident

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   anything that happens suddenly or by chance without an apparent cause

   winning the lottery was a happy accident

2. 2
   noun

   An unexpected event with negative consequences occurring without the intention of the one suffering the consequences, and (in the strict sense) not directly caused by humans.

   to die by an accident such as an act of God

3. 3
   noun

   A collision or crash of a vehicle, aircraft, or other form of transportation that causes damage to the transportation involved; and sometimes injury or death to the transportation's occupants or bystanders in close proximity. (but see Usage notes)

   There was a huge accident on I5 involving 15 automobiles.

4. 4
   noun

   Any chance event.

   He also objects to the idea of women arising by an accident of nature, preferring the notion that they came about as a 'result of some strong mental impression', and so 'the sex of the progeny would have been settled by the decision of the progenitor'.

5. 5
   noun

   Chance; random chance.

   c.1861-1863, Richard Chevenix Trench, in 1888, Letters and memorials, Volume 1, Thou cam'st not to thy place by accident, / It is the very place God meant for thee; […]

6. 6
   noun

   Any property, fact, or relation that is the result of chance or is nonessential or nonsubstantive.

   Beauty is an accident.

7. 7
   noun

   An instance of incontinence.

   We weren’t there long when Karin asked about our dog. When we told her Chris was in the car, she insisted we bring him up to the apartment. I rejected her offer and said he might have an accident on the carpet and I didn’t want to worry about it.

8. 8
   adj

   Designating any form of transportation involved in an accident.

   The NTSB report revealed that the accident airplane was a Cessna 172.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₂d-der. Proto-Italic *kadō Latin cadō Latin accidō Latin accidēnslbor. Old French accidentbor. Middle English accident English accident First attested in the late 14th century. From Middle English accident, from Old French accident, from Latin accidēns, present active participle of accidō (“happen”); from ad (“to”) + cadō (“fall”). See cadence, case. In the sense “unintended pregnancy”, first attested in 1932.