/'æksɪdənt; `æksədənt/
n
1 [C] event that happens unexpectedly and causes damage, injury, etc 事故; 故障; 横祸; 不幸; 不测; 意外
*be killed in a car/road accident 在车祸[交通事故]中遇难
* I had a slight accident at home and broke some crockery. 我在家出了点儿小事, 打碎了些陶器.
* He's very late I do hope he hasn't met with an accident. 他这么晚还没来--我真希望他别出事.
* [attrib 作定语] accident insurance 事故保险.
2 [U] chance; fortune 机遇; 命运; 造化
*By accident of birth (ie Because of where he happened to be born) he is entitled to British citizenship. 因出生的造化, 他成为英国公民（因有缘生于该地）.
3 (idm 习语) ,accidents ,will `happen (saying 谚) some unfortunate events must be accepted as inevitable 意外事故在所难免. by accident as a result of chance or mishap 偶然; 意外地
*I only found it by accident. 我只是碰巧找到的. a chapter of accidents => chapter. without `accident safely 安全地; 平安地.

n
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French;Origin:Latin accidens 'additional quality, chance', from accidere 'to happen', from ad- 'to' + cadere 'to fall']
by accident
in a way that is not planned or intended
≠ on purpose, deliberately deliberately
　I met her quite by accident . (=completely by accident)
　The discovery was made almost by accident.
　The pilot, whether by accident or design (=whether it was planned or not planned) , made the plane do a sharp turn.
[C]
a crash involving cars, trains, planes etc
road/car/traffic etc accident
　Over 70,000 people are killed or seriously injured every year in road accidents.
fatal/serious/tragic etc accident
　a fatal accident on the freeway
　The accident happened at the junction of Forest Road and Pine Walk.

[C]
a situation in which someone is injured or something is damaged without anyone intending them to be
　Ken had an accident at work and had to go to hospital.
　I'm sorry about breaking the vase - it was an accident (=I did not intend to do it) .
[U and C]
something that happens without anyone planning or intending it
　My third baby was an accident.
　It is no accident that men fill most of the top jobs in nursing, while women remain on the lower grades.
an accident of birth/geography/history etc
(=an event or situation caused by chance)
accidents (will) happen
spoken used to tell someone who has broken something that they should not worry that it has happened
an accident waiting to happen
used about a situation in which an accident is likely to happen because no one is trying to prevent it
　The boats are being left to drift; it's an accident waiting to happen.

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WORD FOCUS: accident
similar words: crash, wreck(AmE), pile-up, collision, disaster, catastrophe

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