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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

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.
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Of moving accidents by flood and field. --Shak.
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Thou cam'st not to thy place by accident:
It is the very place God meant for thee. --Trench.
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2. (Gram.) A property attached to a word, but not essential
to it, as gender, number, case.
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3. (Her.) A point or mark which may be retained or omitted in
a coat of arms.
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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.
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5. Any accidental property, fact, or relation; an accidental
or nonessential; as, beauty is an accident.
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This accident, as I call it, of Athens being
situated some miles from the sea. --J. P.
Mahaffy.
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6. Unusual appearance or effect. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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Note: Accident, in Law, is equivalent to casus, or such
unforeseen, extraordinary, extraneous interference as
is out of the range of ordinary calculation.
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