accident

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A crash involving a vehicle that causes damage or injury.

   There was a serious accident on the motorway this morning.

2. 2
   noun

   An unexpected and usually harmful event that happens without anyone meaning it to.

   He broke the vase by accident while cleaning.

3. 3
   noun

   Something that happens by chance, without any plan or cause.

   Winning the lottery was a happy accident.

Common collocations

• minor accident Adjective + noun
• serious accident Adjective + noun
• cause an accident Verb + noun
• have an accident Verb + noun
• fatal accident Adjective + noun
• avoid an accident Verb + noun
• survive an accident Verb + noun
• freak accident Adjective + noun
• inevitable accident Adjective + noun

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.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images