perchance

per·chance

(pər-chăns′)

adv.

Perhaps; possibly.

[Middle English, from Anglo-Norman par chance : par, by (from Latin per; see per) + chance, chance (from Old French; see chance).]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

perchance

(pəˈtʃɑːns)

adv

1. perhaps; possibly

2. by chance; accidentally

[C14: from Anglo-French par chance; see per, chance]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

per•chance

(pərˈtʃæns, -ˈtʃɑns)

adv.

1. perhaps; maybe; possibly.

2. Archaic. by chance.

[1300–50; Middle English, variant of par chance by chance < Anglo-French]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adv.	1.	perchance - through chance, "To sleep, perchance to dream.." by chance archaicism, archaism - the use of an archaic expression
	2.	perchance - by chance; "perhaps she will call tomorrow"; "we may possibly run into them at the concert"; "it may peradventure be thought that there never was such a time" maybe, mayhap, peradventure, perhaps, possibly

perchance

adverb (Archaic or poetic) perhaps, probably, maybe, possibly, by chance, mayhap (archaic), peradventure (archaic), for all you know, haply (archaic) Are we, perchance, overlooking one small detail?

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

perchance

adverb

Possibly but not certainly:

maybe, mayhap, perhaps.

Translations

forse

perchance

[pəˈtʃɑːns] ADV (liter) (= by chance) → por ventura, acaso; (= perhaps) → acaso, tal vez
to sleep, perchance to dream → dormir, acaso or tal vez soñar
are they perchance afraid of me? → ¿acaso les doy miedo?

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

perchance

adv (old) → vielleicht

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

perchance

[pəˈtʃɑːns] adv (old) (perhaps) → forse

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

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References in classic literature ?

"This being so, if perchance anyone of thy kinsfolk should come to see thee when thou art in thine island, thou art not to repel or slight him, but on the contrary to welcome him, entertain him, and make much of him; for in so doing thou wilt be approved of heaven

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He inveighed against the injustice of Providence, which would for the sake of one criminal perchance sailing in the ship allow so many innocent persons to perish.

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We should go forth on the shortest walk, perchance, in the spirit of undying adventure, never to return-- prepared to send back our embalmed hearts only as relics to our desolate kingdoms.

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We go to France, and from thence I trust to Spain, in humble search of a field in which we may win advancement and perchance some small share of glory.

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Or perchance, at evening, I hear him in his stable blowing off the superfluous energy of the day, that he may calm his nerves and cool his liver and brain for a few hours of iron slumber.

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`And midst them all, perchance, my love Is waking, and doth gently move And stretch her soft arms out to me, Forgetting thousand leagues of sea."

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Perchance they were seeking some method to circumvent the forest people.

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But in the exulting illusion of irresistible might a long series of military successes brings to a nation the less obvious aspect of such a fortune may perchance be lost to view.

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When Robin saw that no other wayfarer was within sight, he called young David of Doncaster, who was a shrewd man for his years, and said to him, "Now get thee forth, young David, and speak to yonder palmer that walks beside the town wall, for he hath come but now from Nottingham Town, and may tell thee news of good Stutely, perchance."

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Nevertheless, the naivete, the sweetness of the faces, the gayety of the attitudes and draperies, and that inexplicable charm which is mingled with all the defects, render the little figures very diverting and delicate, perchance, even too much so.

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The clergyman's shy and sensitive reserve had balked this scheme Roger Chillingworth, however,was inclined to be hardly, if at all, less satisfied with the aspect of affairs, which Providence -- using the avenger and his victim for its own purposes, and, perchance, pardoning, where it seemed most to punish -- had substituted for his black devices A revelation, he could almost say, had been granted to him.

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"If perchance I should be there," he said, "and if perchance I should win the iron chieftainess, the axe Groan-Maker, and rule over the People of the Axe, you should not live far from the shadow of the axe thenceforward, maid Zinita."

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