accident

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)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”

   “Wherein I spake of most disastrous chances, / Of moving accidents by flood and field[…]”

2. (countable, uncountable)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.
3. (countable, uncountable)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.”

   “My insurance went up after the second accident in three months.”

   “Surprisingly, this analysis revealed that acute exposure to solvent vapors at concentrations below those associated with long-term effects appears to increase the risk of a fatal automobile accident. Furthermore, this increase in risk is comparable to the risk of death from leukemia after long-term exposure to benzene, another solvent, which has the well-known property of causing this type of cancer.”

4. (countable, uncountable)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. (uncountable)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; […]”

   “And so with his writing, which he proudly said was a perfect counterpart of his life. Accident played a major part in both.”

6. (countable, uncountable)Any property, fact, or relation that is the result of chance or is nonessential or nonsubstantive.

   “Beauty is an accident.”

   “Lexical gaps are called accidental because their existence is by accident; it is not essential.”

   “This accident, as I call it, of Athens being situated some miles from the sea, which is rather the consequence of its being a very ancient site,[…]”

   “If they went through their growth-crisis in other faiths and other countries, although the essence of the change would be the same[…], its accidents would be different.”

   “14thC, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Pardoner's Prologue and Tale in The Canterbury Tales, These cookes how they stamp, and strain, and grind, / And turne substance into accident, / To fulfill all thy likerous talent!”

7. (countable, uncountable)Any property, fact, or relation that is the result of chance or is nonessential or nonsubstantive.

   “An adjective, so called because adjectitious, or added to a substantive, denotes some quality or accident of the substantive to which it is joined […]”

8. (countable, euphemistic, uncountable)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.”

9. (countable, euphemistic, uncountable)An instance of incontinence.
10. (countable, euphemistic, uncountable)An unintended pregnancy.
11. (countable, derogatory, euphemistic, humorous, uncountable)An unintended pregnancy.

    “Taylor was our sweet little accident, and we're so glad!”

12. (countable, uncountable)An irregular surface feature with no apparent cause.
13. (countable, uncountable)A sudden discontinuity of ground such as fault of great thickness, bed or lentil of unstable ground.
14. (countable, uncountable)A point or mark which may be retained or omitted in a coat of arms.
15. (countable, uncountable)Synonym of accidental.

adj

1. (not-comparable)Designating any form of transportation involved in an accident.

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

name

1. A town in Garrett County, Maryland, United States.