danger

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English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English daunger (power, dominion, peril), from Anglo-Norman dangier, from Old French dangier, alteration of Old French dongier (due to association with Latin damnum (damage)) from Vulgar Latin *dominārium (authority, power) from Latin dominus (lord, master).[1] Displaced native Old English frēcennes.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

danger (countable and uncountable, plural dangers)

  1. Exposure to likely harm; peril.
    There's plenty of danger in the desert.
  2. An instance or cause of likely harm.
    • 1st September 1884, William Gladstone, Second Midlothian Speech
      Two territorial questions [] unsettled [] each of which was a positive danger to the peace of Europe.
  3. (obsolete) Mischief.
  4. (mainly outside US, rail transport) The stop indication of a signal (usually in the phrase "at danger").
    The north signal was at danger because of the rockslide.
  5. (obsolete) Ability to harm; someone's dominion or power to harm or penalise. See in one's danger, below.
  6. (obsolete) Liability.
  7. (obsolete) Difficulty; sparingness; hesitation.
    • 1500, Melusine:
      They of Coloyne made grete daunger to lete passe the oost thrughe the Cite at brydge.
    • 1570, A. Dalaber, J. Foxe Actes & Monuments:
      I made daunger of it a while at first, but afterward beyng persuaded by them..I promised to do as they would haue me.
    • 1652, John Fletcher, The Wild-Goose Chase:
      I shall make danger, sure.

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Verb[edit]

danger (third-person singular simple present dangers, present participle dangering, simple past and past participle dangered)

  1. (obsolete) To claim liability.
  2. (obsolete) To imperil; to endanger.
  3. (obsolete) To run the risk.

Quotations[edit]

Related terms[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “danger”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
  • Oxford English Dictionary

Anagrams[edit]

French[edit]

French Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia fr

Etymology[edit]

Inherited from Old French dangier, alteration of Old French dongier (due to association with Latin damnum (damage)), from Vulgar Latin *domniārium (authority, power), from Latin dominus (lord, master).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

danger m (plural dangers)

  1. danger
  2. jeopardy (danger of loss, harm, or failure)

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • Esperanto: danĝero

Further reading[edit]

Anagrams[edit]