accident Copy link Outline I. An unforeseen or inexplicable eventII. ChanceIII. A non-essential property1. accĭdens, entis, n.2. ēventum (app. only in Lucr.). whatever things are spoken of, you will see are either essential qualities or a.s, quaecunque cluent, aut conjuncta aut eventa videbis, Lucr. • accident: I. An unforeseen or inexplicable event: cāsus, ūs: he looked for no a. of this kind, nullum hujusmodi c. respectabat, Caes.: an a. prevented me from doing that, id c. quidam ne facerem impedivit, Cic.: usu. an unlucky event: if any a. should send the boy to Orcus, si quis c. puerum egerit Orco, Hor.: a serious a., gravis c., Cic. II. Chance: q. v.: esp. in phr. by accident: v. accidentally. Phr.: the enemy commit the affair to the chapter of a.s, hostes rem in casum ancipitis eventus committunt, Liv.: by a lucky accident, forte fortuna, Pl. III. A non-essential property: 1. accĭdens, entis, n.: the a.s of things, rerum accidentia, Quint.: to indicate genus, as animal; or differentia, as rational; or a., as an orator, genus significare, ut animal; aut differentiam, ut rationale; aut a., ut orator, Apul. de syll.: the a.s of each substance, accidentia uniuscujusque substantiae, Tert. 2. ēventum (app. only in Lucr.). whatever things are spoken of, you will see are either essential qualities or a.s, quaecunque cluent, aut conjuncta aut eventa videbis, Lucr.