| English > English |
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| by accident |
| 1. adv. Accidentally; unintentionally; without meaning to; as the result of an event not expected, aided, or designed by one's will. |
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| Sorry. I knocked over the vase by accident. |
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| 2. adv. As the result of some undesigned, unintended, unrelated, natural, or random occurrence; as the unexpected and unforeseen result of formerly unrelated factors. |
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| The car got totaled by accident; a giant snowdrift fell off the church roof. |
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| The only way that project still exists today is by accident; I thought we closed it years ago. |
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| The scholar thinks the quote and the parable were spoken on different occasions and only by accident were brought together here. |
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| 3. adv. By chance; unexpectedly; as the result of an unrelated series of events. |
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| I hadn't seen her for years, but I ran into her by accident at the store. |
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| She overheard the information by accident. |
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| 4. adj. Accidental; as the result of some unforeseen happening or series of events; unexpected; resulting from an event without the foresight, expectation, aid, or design of the person by whose agency it was |
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| The victim's death was by accident. |
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| That the injury was by accident is not questioned. |
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| Analysis |
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| by |
| 1. prep. Near or next to. |
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| The mailbox is by the bus stop. |
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| 2. prep. At some time before (the given time), or before the end of a given time interval. |
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| Be back by ten o'clock! We will send it by the first week of July. |
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| 3. prep. Indicates the actor in a clause with its verb in the passive voice: Through the action or presence of. |
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| accident |
| 1. n. An unexpected event with negative consequences occurring without the intention of the one suffering the consequences. |
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| to die by an accident |
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| 2. n. (transport, vehicle) Especially, a collision or similar unintended event that causes damage or death. |
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| There was a huge accident on I5 involving 15 automobiles. |
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| My insurance went up after the second accident in three months. |
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