by accident
CHANCE/BY CHANCEin a way that is not planned or intended 偶然,意外地 OPP on purpose, deliberately I met her quite by accident (=completely by accident). 我遇见她完全是偶然。
The discovery was made almost by accident. 这项发现几乎纯属意外。
The pilot, whether by accident or design (=whether it was planned or not planned), made the plane do a sharp turn. 不知是有意还是无意,那名飞行员让飞机来了个急转弯。
n Grammar ✗ Don’t say: by an accident
by accident• Fleming discovered penicillin almost by accident.• The trigger of the gun is locked so that it cannot be fired by accident.• He brought over some of my mail that was delivered to his house by accident.• Lombardi heard about their plan quite by accident.• The fire started by accident.• We ended up by accident on the wrong train and had to ride all the way to Montreal.
→4 See picture of 见图 accident → by accident at accident(1)