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accident

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accident

 

  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Accident  \Ac"ci*dent\,  n.  [F.  accident,  fr  L.  accidens, 
  -dentis,  p.  pr  of  accidere  to  happen;  ad  +  cadere  to  fall. 
  See  {Cadence},  {Case}.] 
  1.  Literally,  a  befalling;  an  event  that  takes  place  without 
  one's  foresight  or  expectation;  an  undesigned,  sudden,  and 
  unexpected  event;  chance;  contingency;  often  an 
  undesigned  and  unforeseen  occurrence  of  an  afflictive  or 
  unfortunate  character;  a  casualty;  a  mishap;  as  to  die  by 
  an  accident. 
 
  Of  moving  accidents  by  flood  and  field.  --Shak. 
 
  Thou  cam'st  not  to  thy  place  by  accident:  It  is  the 
  very  place  God  meant  for  thee.  --Trench. 
 
  2.  (Gram.)  A  property  attached  to  a  word  but  not  essential 
  to  it  as  gender,  number,  case. 
 
  3.  (Her.)  A  point  or  mark  which  may  be  retained  or  omitted  in 
  a  coat  of  arms. 
 
  4.  (Log.) 
  a  A  property  or  quality  of  a  thing  which  is  not 
  essential  to  it  as  whiteness  in  paper;  an  attribute. 
  b  A  quality  or  attribute  in  distinction  from  the 
  substance,  as  sweetness,  softness. 
 
  5.  Any  accidental  property,  fact  or  relation;  an  accidental 
  or  nonessential;  as  beauty  is  an  accident. 
 
  This  accident,  as  I  call  it  of  Athens  being 
  situated  some  miles  from  the  sea.  --J.  P. 
  Mahaffy 
 
  6.  Unusual  appearance  or  effect.  [Obs.]  --Chaucer. 
 
  Note:  Accident,  in  Law,  is  equivalent  to  casus,  or  such 
  unforeseen,  extraordinary,  extraneous  interference  as 
  is  out  of  the  range  of  ordinary  calculation. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  accident 
  n  1:  a  mishap;  especially  one  causing  injury  or  death 
  2:  anything  that  happens  by  chance  without  an  apparent  cause 
  [syn:  {fortuity},  {chance  event}] 
 
  From  U.S.  Gazetteer  (1990)  [gazetteer]: 
 
  Accident,  MD  (town,  FIPS  225) 
  Location:  39.62694  N,  79.32088  W 
  Population  (1990):  349  (155  housing  units) 
  Area:  1.3  sq  km  (land),  0.0  sq  km  (water) 
  Zip  code(s):  21520 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  ACCIDENT,  n.  An  inevitable  occurrence  due  to  the  action  of  immutable 
  natural  laws.




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