chance
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /t͡ʃæns/
ipa: [t͡ʃʰæns]
ipa: [t͡ʃʰɛəns]
ipa: [t͡ʃʰeəns]
ipa: [t͡ʃʰæns]
ipa: [t͡ʃʰans]
ipa: [t͡ʃʰæːns]
ipa: [t͡ʃʰɛːns]
ipa: /t͡ʃɑːns/
ipa: [t͡ʃʰɑːns]
note: Cultivated Australian, New Zealand
ipa: [t͡ʃʰäːns]
note: Cultivated Australian, New Zealand
ipa: [t͡ʃʰɐːns]
ipa: [t͡ʃɑːns]
rhymes: -ɑːns
rhymes: -æns
Forms: form: chances
form: chancing
form: chanced
form: chanced
form: chaunce
Etymology: From Middle English chancen, chauncen, from the noun (see above).
Senses: examples: text: It chanced that I found a solution the very next day.
text: if a bird's nest chance to be before thee
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 22:6:
text: Once […] it chanced that Geoffrey Riddell Bishop of Ely, a Prelate rather troublesome to our Abbot, made a request of him for timber from his woods towards certain edifices going on at Glemsford.
ref: 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “ch. XV, Practical — Devotional”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book II (The Ancient Monk):
text: Mr. Mason, shivering as some one chanced to open the door, asked for more coal to be put on the fire, which had burnt out its flame, though its mass of cinder still shone hot and red. The footman who brought the coal, in going out, stopped near Mr. Eshton's chair, and said something to him in a low voice, of which I heard only the words, "old woman,"—"quite troublesome."
ref: 1847 October 16, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter XVIII, in Jane Eyre. An Autobiography. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder, and Co., […], →OCLC:
glosses: To happen by chance, to occur.
examples: text: […] while the King and Godwine sate at the table, accompanied with others of the nobilitie, it chanced the cupbearer (as he brought wine to the bourd) to slip with the one foote, and yet by good strength of his other leg, to recover himselfe without falling […]
ref: 1826, William Lambarde, A Perambulation of Kent:
glosses: To befall; to happen to.
examples: text: Shall we carry the umbrella, or chance a rainstorm?
text: He does chance it in stocks, but he's always played on the square, if you call stocks gambling.
ref: 1890, William Dean Howells, A Hazard of New Fortunes:
glosses: To try or risk.
examples: text: He chanced upon a kindly stranger who showed him the way.
text: I chanced on this letter.
ref: c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
glosses: To discover something by chance.
examples: text: The car broke down a week after I bought it. I was chanced by that fast-talking salesman.
text: Be prepared to engage in protests of all businesses nationwide who are violating the copyright act and chancing our members.
ref: 2017 March 22, Jules Vasquez, “Shyne Urges Artists To Protest Against Businesses Countrywide”, in 7 News Belize:
glosses: To rob, cheat or swindle someone.
glosses: To take an opportunity from someone; to cut a queue.
Synonyms: sense: to happen
word: come to pass
word: occur
word: transpire
sense: to try
word: test
sense: to discover something
word: come across
word: come on
word: come upon
word: encounter
word: stumble upon
sense: to cheat someone
word: deceive
word: fool
word: trick
Derived terms: bechance
chance on
chance one's arm
chance upon
unchanced