occur
//əˈkɜː//
Forms
- present (v1)
- occur
- past (v2)
- occurred
- past participle (v3)
- occurred
- present participle
- occurring
- 3rd person singular
- occurs
Definitions
1.To happen or take place.
- The liftoff will occur in exactly twelve seconds.
2.To present or offer itself.
- I will write if the opportunity occurs.
3.To come or be presented to the mind; to suggest itself.
- It occurred to him to tell me of the problem.
- One little incident of my school days occurs to me as amusing.
4.To be present or found.
- The chemical monofluoroacetate occurs in all parts of Dichapetalum cymosum, and is responsible for its toxic effects.
Frequency
Overall
Common· #859
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Common
- Academic
- Uncommon
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
Etymology
Originally "meet (in argument)", borrowed from Middle French occurrer
From Latin occurrō (“run to meet, run against, befall, present itself”) from prefix ob- (“against”) + verb currō (“run, hurry, move”).