come-by-chance
Definition
Noun: - An unexpected or accidental occurrence: "come-by-chance" refers to something that happens by chance or without prior planning. - A child born out of wedlock: In historical or informal usage, "come-by-chance" can refer to an illegitimate child (a child born to unmarried parents), often carrying a stigma or sense of happenstance.
Usage Examples
- (An unexpected event that occurred accidentally.)
- (A child born out of wedlock.)
Advanced Usage
"A come-by-chance meeting": an unplanned or fortuitous meeting.
- Their reunion was a come-by-chance, as they had not planned to be in the same city. (The meeting happened by accident.)
"To call someone a come-by-chance": a derogatory or pitying reference to an illegitimate child.
- She was cruelly called a come-by-chance by the townsfolk. (She was stigmatized for her birth status.)
Variants and Related Words
By-chance (adv): accidentally or fortuitously.
- He found the lost ring by-chance while walking. (He found it without looking for it.)
Chance (n): the occurrence of events without apparent cause.
- It was pure chance that they met. (It happened without design.)
Synonyms
- Accident: an event that happens unexpectedly.
- Fluke: a lucky or unlikely chance event.
- Fortuity: a chance occurrence or event.
Related Idioms
By chance: without planning; accidentally.
- We met by chance at the market. (We met accidentally.)
A chance encounter: an unplanned meeting.
- Their romance began with a chance encounter. (They met by accident.)