hapchance
Pronunciation: /ˈhapˌtʃɑːns/
The English word “hapchance” has 4 meanings listed here.
noun
- Chance, luck, fortune; the random or unplanned quality of an event. (frequently in by hapchance)
- A chance occurrence; an accident, a coincidence.
adjective
adverb
- By chance; at random; haphazardly.
Etymology
hap (“luck, fortune, chance”) + chance (“chance, fortune”): a tautological compound, in which both elements independently mean “chance”. Compare the similarly redundant haphazard (hap + hazard), and the synonymous happenchance and happenstance. Recorded from 1866, but attested chiefly in literary prose of the 20th century.
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