hazard

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Something that is dangerous or could cause harm.

   The wet floor was a serious hazard for shoppers.

2. 2
   noun

   The risk or chance of harm or loss.

   He saved the child at the hazard of his own life.

3. 3
   verb

   To risk saying or guessing something that may be wrong.

   I'll hazard a guess that the meeting will be cancelled.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Hazard entered Middle English through Arabic, Spanish, and French and is ultimately traced to Persian or Turkish zar, meaning “dice.” It first denoted a dice game, then developed the senses “chance” and “risk of loss or harm” in the 16th century.

From Middle English hasard, from Old French hasart (“a game of dice”) (noun), hasarder (verb), from Arabic اَلزَّهْر (az-zahr, “the dice”). Compare Spanish azar, Portuguese azar.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary