2006-07-26 10:48:49 · 11 answers · asked by NICK J 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Other - Arts & Humanities
Serendipity is a happy accident. For example, if you where the first person who accidentally dropped an apple into a pot of lukewarm toffee, after you'd kicked yourself for ruining both the toffee and the apple, you'd have fished it out of the pot, and discovered you had made a toffee apple, which no one had ever had before!
Or if you were the guy who accidentally spilled a little cocoa into his coffee one morning, and instead of dumping it out and starting all over again, tasted it, you would have discovered a new sensation!
The word comes from a story by Horace Walpole, called 'The Three Princes of Serendip'.
Actually, a number of famous scientific discoveries were serendipitous, because the researchers were trying to do something else, which they didn't achieve, but their lucky accident gave them something even more worthwhile.
2006-07-26 10:58:32 · answer #1 · answered by old lady 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
ser·en·dip·i·ty
ser·en·dip·i·ty [sèrrÉn dÃppÉtee]
n
gift for discovery: a natural gift for making useful discoveries by accident
[Mid-18th century (but rare before the 20th century). From The Three Princes of Serendip , a Persian story about three princes who had this ability; Serendip is supposedly a former name of Sri Lanka.]
-ser·en·dip·i·tous, adj
-ser·en·dip·i·tous·ly, adv
Extended senses:
The phrase serendipitous discovery, which is often seen, manages to suggest that serendipity is nothing other than good luck. However, the idea of a discovery is necessary to the word, and serendipity and serendipitous are nonstandard in senses unrelated to making happy discoveries by chance.
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
2006-07-26 17:53:31 · answer #2 · answered by mommyof2boys 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means an happy accident
i.e. you discover something by accident that you like
example - john cusack discovered Kate beckinsale in the movie serendipity
2006-07-26 18:10:36 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah watch the movie it explains it better because you see the (OK it's a story but you'll get the idea ) fortuitous occurrences in action..an example in response to the old Lady's comment is penicillin was another serendipitous discovery mouldy bread
2006-07-28 13:10:12 · answer #4 · answered by mini prophet of fubar 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To discover things by accident.
2006-07-26 17:51:51 · answer #5 · answered by Lily 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
2The fact or occurrence of such discoveries.
3An instance of making such a discovery
2006-07-26 17:52:59 · answer #6 · answered by cate 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To accidently find or discover something you were not actually looking for
2006-07-26 17:52:58 · answer #7 · answered by Croeso 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The art of finding something by looking for something else
2006-07-26 17:54:04 · answer #8 · answered by Citizen Mac 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Calm and Tranquil, peaceful
2006-07-26 17:56:14 · answer #9 · answered by Jeanette 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Happy chance, unforseen good luck
2006-07-26 17:51:55 · answer #10 · answered by zen 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋