serendipity

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“
Other words were pure serendipity, one of which was dáraba ` to strike. '

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Definitions (6)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. noun The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
  2. noun The fact or occurrence of such discoveries.
  3. noun An instance of making such a discovery.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (1)

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Examples

  • Other words were pure serendipity, one of which was dáraba ` to strike. ' —  VERBATIM: The Language Quarterly Vol XII No 2
  • There had been a brief flurry of starship launchings as colonies of black people, brown, white, and yellow people were hurled into the sky toward the Centaur, in the name of racism. —  A Canticle for Leibowitz
  • He preferred masters who were predictable even if they were more abusive. —  The Last Starfighter
  • But I do think there's a kind of serendipity, and I do want to know what those elements are, so I can thank them, and also try to find them in my life. —  Amy Tan on creativity
  • "Absolutely!" —  The Serpent's Shadow
 

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Words tagged serendipity

serendipity · Serendipity

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Serendipity has been looked up 3069 times, favorited 42 times, listed 315 times, and commented on 16 times.

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. From the characters in the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip, who made such discoveries, from Persian Sarandīp, Sri Lanka, from Arabic sarandīb.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. A humorous formation, with an allusion to dip, from Serendip, a form of Serendib, a former name of Ceylon, + -ity. The island of Serendib figures in Eastern romance. The name is from Arabic Serendīb, Sarandīb, also Sarandīp (Late Latin Serendivi, plural, as the name of the people), Middle Greek Σιελεδίβα, from Sanskrit Simhala-dvīpa, the island of Ceylon, from Simhala, Ceylon (from simha, lion), + dvīpa, island. The Sanskrit Simhala is in Pali Sihalan, whence *Sīlan, Old Tamil Ilam, whence Malay Sailan, European Seilan, Zeilon, Ceylon.
 

Pronunciations
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/sɛrɛnˈdɪpɪti/
by American Heritage
by Lee Davis-Thalbourne
by vmohan
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