Search the Dictionary

Occurring or happening; hence, incidental; accidental.

To hear more of (anything) than was intended to be heard; to hear by accident or artifice. Shak.

Excessive wetness. [Obs.] Another ill accident is, overwet at sowing time. Bacon.

ive to, details; minute; circumstantial; precise; as, a full and particular account of an accident; hence, nice; fastidious; as, a man particular in his dress.

In a narrower, judicial sense: Accident or casus, as distinguished from dolus and culpa, and hence relieving one from the duty of performing an obligation.

off evil or secure good or success; a precautionary act; as, to take precautions against accident.

butes involved in logical arrangements, namely, genus, species, difference, property, and accident.

temporary tackle attached to the tiller of a vessel during gales or an action, in case of accident to the tiller ropes. (b) A strong tackle from a wharf to a careened vessel, to prevent her from going over entirely, and to assist in righting her. Totten. Craig.

Afflictive; calamitous; causing sorrow; as, a sad accident; a sad misfortune.

Producing sorrow; exciting grief; mournful; lamentable; grievous; as, a sorrowful accident.

in the works of creation. South. To sit spelling and observing divine justice upon every accident. Milton.

of danger. After having recovered from my first startle, I was very well pleased with the accident. Spectator.

n from that which is apparent; the abiding part of any existence, in distinction from any accident; that which constitutes anything what it is; real or existing essence. These cooks, how they stamp, and strain, and grind, And turn substance into accident! Chaucer. Heroic virtue did his actions guide, And he the substan…

I love this lady, Long was my travel, long my trade to win her. Massinger. Thy sin's not accidental but a trade. Shak.

Something that thwarts, crosses, or obstructs; a cross accident; as, he would have succeeded, had it not been for unlucky traverses not under his control.

Inconvenient; troublesome; vexatious; unlucky; unfortunate; as, an untoward wind or accident. -- Un*to"ward*ly, adv. -- Un*to"ward*ness, n.

An event that is not, or can not be, foreseen; an accident; chance; hap; contingency; luck. Bacon.

g creature destroyed by, or suffering grievous injury from, another, from fortune or from accident; as, the victim of a defaulter; the victim of a railroad accident.

rvant, and held his lands as a villain to his lord, his posterity also must do so, though accidentally they become noble. Jer. Taylor.

which under certain circumstances is held to exempt from contract obligations; inevitable accident; -- a civil-law term used as nearly equivalent to, but broader than, the common-law term act of God (which see).