See Also: happen(1)(dictionary)
happen(2)(dictionary)
happen-so(dictionary)
happen(dictionary)

happen(2) (iou)



happen verb intrans. LME.
[from HAP noun + -EN5, superseding HAP verb1.]
Of an event, experience, etc.: come about, occur. (Foll. by to the person or thing affected; also (obsolete exc. dial.) with indirect obj.) LME.
H. Nelson If anything happens to me, recollect that death is a debt we must all pay. E. S. Barrett No harm shall happen you. G. Vidal When we crossed into Gael, an interesting thing happened. P. Roth I'm not someone who makes miracles happen.
b. With impers. subj.: occur, be the situation (that). LME.
T. Blount Some of their party..might quarter at the house (as had often hapned). W. Cather It happened that none of the Captain's closest friends could come to his funeral.
c. Occur or come into existence by pure chance or spontaneously. M20.
L. MacNeice As for my supporting symbols, they happened; I did not usually look for them.
Have the (good or bad) fortune to do. LME.
do you happen to, you don't happen to (in tentative requests), is it possible that you (have, know, etc.).
G. Greene He happened to be at the airport when they arrived.
With pred. adjective or phr.: chance to be. obsolete exc. dial. LME.
Sir W. Scott It's the only book thou canst not happen wrong in.
Foll. by on, upon: find or meet with by chance. M16.
Foll. by along, around, by, in, into, over, etc.: come or turn up in a place casually or as if by chance. Now chiefly N. Amer. M16.
R. Frost I go nowhere on purpose: I happen by. P. Matthiessen I..set out binoculars in case wild creatures should happen into view.
Foll. by to, unto: fall to the lot of. L16-M18.
J. Whitgift If temporal dominion or possession happen to the minister of the gospel.
Of music, a player, etc.: succeed, come off, be effective, make an impression. slang. M20.
Down Beat They were all trying to create..but it didn't really happen.