danger definition

English danger definition

Etymology

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

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈdeɪn.dʒə(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈdeɪnd͡ʒɚ/
• Hyphenation: dan‧ger

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪndʒə(ɹ)

Noun

danger (countable and uncountable, plural dangers)

1. Exposure to likely harm; peril.

   There's plenty of danger in the desert.

   • 1821, William Hazlitt, “Essay IX. The Indian Jugglers.”, in Table-Talk; or, Original Essays, volume I, London: John Warren, […], OCLC 3363207, page 187:

     Danger is a good teacher, and makes apt scholars.

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.
   • 1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene i]:

     We put a Sting in him, / That at his will he may doe danger with.

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.
   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene i], page 180:

     You stand within his danger, do you not?

   • 1551, Thomas More, “(please specify the Internet Archive page)”, in Raphe Robynson [i.e., Ralph Robinson], transl., A Fruteful, and Pleasaunt Worke of the Best State of a Publyque Weale, and of the Newe Yle Called Utopia: […], London: […] [Steven Mierdman for] Abraham Vele, […], OCLC 1180784885:

     Covetousness of gains hath brought [them] in danger of this statute.

6. (obsolete) Liability.
   • 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], OCLC 762018299, Matthew ]:

     Thou shalt not kyll. Whosoever shall kyll, shalbe in daunger of iudgement.

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

• See also Thesaurus:danger

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

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.
   • c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene ii]:

     The sides o'th' world may danger. Much is breeding

3. (obsolete) To run the risk.

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:danger.

Related terms

• dangerous
• at danger
• SPAD
• dungeon
• domain
• dame
• endanger

References

• Oxford English Dictionary

Anagrams

• Gander, Garden, gander, garden, grande, graned, nadger, ranged

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French danger definition

Etymology

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

• IPA^(key): /dɑ̃.ʒe/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

danger m (plural dangers)

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

Derived terms

• danger public
• dangereux
• en danger
• hors de danger
• non-assistance à personne en danger

Descendants

• → Esperanto: danĝero

Further reading

• “danger”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• de rang, grande