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9 dictionary results for: hazard

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

haz·ard

[haz-erd] Pronunciation Key

–noun

1.	an unavoidable danger or risk, even though often foreseeable: The job was full of hazards.

2.	something causing unavoidable danger, peril, risk, or difficulty: the many hazards of the big city.

3.	the absence or lack of predictability; chance; uncertainty: There is an element of hazard in the execution of the most painstaking plans.

4.	Golf. a bunker, sand trap, or the like, constituting an obstacle.

5.	the uncertainty of the result in throwing a die.

6.	a game played with two dice, an earlier and more complicated form of craps.

7.	Court Tennis. any of the winning openings.

8.	(in English billiards) a stroke by which the player pockets the object ball (winning hazard) or his or her own ball after contact with another ball (losing hazard).

–verb (used with object)

9.	to offer (a statement, conjecture, etc.) with the possibility of facing criticism, disapproval, failure, or the like; venture: He hazarded a guess, with trepidation, as to her motives in writing the article.

10.	to put to the risk of being lost; expose to risk: In making the investment, he hazarded all his savings.

11.	to take or run the risk of (a misfortune, penalty, etc.): Thieves hazard arrest.

12.	to venture upon (anything of doubtful issue): to hazard a dangerous encounter.

—Idiom

13.	at hazard, at risk; at stake; subject to chance: His reputation was at hazard in his new ventures.

[Origin: 1250–1300; ME hasard < OF, perh. < Ar al-zahr the die

]

—Related forms

haz·ard·a·ble, adjective

haz·ard·er, noun

haz·ard·less, adjective

—Synonyms 1. See danger. 3. accident, fortuity, fortuitousness. 10. stake, endanger, peril, imperil.

—Antonyms 1. safety.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

haz·ard (hāz'ərd) Pronunciation Key
n.

A chance; an accident.
A chance of being injured or harmed; danger: Space travel is full of hazards.
A possible source of danger: a fire hazard.
Games A dice game similar to craps.
Sports An obstacle, such as a sand trap, found on a golf course.

tr.v. haz·ard·ed, haz·ard·ing, haz·ards

To expose to danger or harm. See Synonyms at endanger.
To venture (something); dare: hazard a guess.

[Middle English hasard, dice game, from Old French, possibly from Old Spanish azar, possibly from Arabic az-zahr, the gaming die : al-, the + zahr, gaming die.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
hazard

1167, from O.Fr. hasard "game of chance played with dice," possibly from Sp. azar "an unfortunate card or throw at dice," which is said to be from Arabic az-zahr (for al-zahr) "the die." But this is doubtful because of the absence of zahr in classical Arabic dictionaries. Klein suggests Ar. yasara "he played at dice;" Ar. -s- regularly becomes Sp. -z-. The -d was added in Fr. in confusion with the native suffix -ard. Sense of "chance of loss or harm, risk," first recorded 1548; the verb sense of "put something at stake in a game of chance" is from 1530. Hazardous in the sense of "perilous" is from 1618.

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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

hazard
noun
1.	a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune; "drinking alcohol is a health hazard"
2.	an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another; "bad luck caused his downfall"; "we ran into each other by pure chance" [syn: luck]
3.	an obstacle on a golf course
verb
1.	put forward, of a guess, in spite of possible refutation; "I am guessing that the price of real estate will rise again"; "I cannot pretend to say that you are wrong" [syn: guess]
2.	put at risk; "I will stake my good reputation for this" [syn: venture]
3.	take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome; "When you buy these stocks you are gambling" [syn: gamble]

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U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Hazard, CA Zip code(s): 90063

Hazard, NE (village, FIPS 21765) Location: 41.09115 N, 99.07806 W
Population (1990): 78 (40 housing units)
Area: 0.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 68844

Hazard, KY (city, FIPS 35362) Location: 37.25296 N, 83.19528 W
Population (1990): 5416 (2277 housing units)
Area: 16.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)

U.S. Gazetteer, U.S. Census Bureau

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Hazard

Dan"ger\, n. [OE. danger, daunger, power, arrogance, refusal, difficulty, fr. OF. dagier, dongier (with same meaning), F. danger danger, fr. an assumed LL. dominiarium power, authority, from L. dominium power, property. See Dungeon, Domain, Dame.]

1. Authority; jurisdiction; control. [Obs.]

In dangerhad he . . . the young girls. --Chaucer.

2. Power to harm; subjection or liability to penalty. [Obs.] See In one's danger, below.

You stand within his danger, do you not? --Shak.

Covetousness of gains hath brought [them] in dangerof this statute. --Robynson (More's Utopia).

3. Exposure to injury, loss, pain, or other evil; peril; risk; insecurity.

4. Difficulty; sparingness. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

5. Coyness; disdainful behavior. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

In one's danger, in one's power; liable to a penalty to be inflicted by him. [Obs.] This sense is retained in the proverb, "Out of debt out of danger."

Those rich man in whose debt and danger they be not. --Robynson (More's Utopia).

To do danger, to cause danger. [Obs.] --Shak.

Syn: Peril; hazard; risk; jeopardy.

Usage: Danger, Peril, Hazard, Risk, Jeopardy. Danger is the generic term, and implies some contingent evil in prospect. Peril is instant or impending danger; as, in peril of one's life. Hazard arises from something fortuitous or beyond our control; as, the hazard of the seas. Risk is doubtful or uncertain danger, often incurred voluntarily; as, to risk an engagement. Jeopardy is extreme danger. Danger of a contagious disease; the perils of shipwreck; the hazards of speculation; the risk of daring enterprises; a life brought into jeopardy.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Hazard

Haz"ard\, n. [F. hazard, Sp. azar an unforeseen disaster or accident, an unfortunate card or throw at dice, prob. fr. Ar. zahr, z[=a]r, a die, which, with the article al the, would give azzahr, azz[=a]r.]

1. A game of chance played with dice. --Chaucer.

2. The uncertain result of throwing a die; hence, a fortuitous event; chance; accident; casualty.

I will stand the hazard of the die. --Shak.

3. Risk; danger; peril; as, he encountered the enemy at the hazard of his reputation and life.

Men are led on from one stage of life to another in a condition of the utmost hazard. --Rogers

4. (Billiards?) Holing a ball, whether the object ball (winning hazard) or the player's ball (losing hazard).

5. Anything that is hazarded or risked, as the stakes in gaming. "Your latter hazard." --Shak.

Hazard table, a a table on which hazard is played, or any game of chance for stakes.

To ru? the hazard, to take the chance or risk.

Syn: Danger; risk; chance. See Danger.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Hazard

Haz"ard\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hazarded; p. pr. & vb. ? Hazarding.] [Cf. F. hazarder. See Hazard, n.]

1. To expose to the operation of chance; to put in danger of loss or injury; to venture; to risk.

Men hazard nothing by a course of evangelical obedience. --John Clarke.

He hazards his neck to the halter. --Fuller.

2. To venture to incur, or bring on.

I hazarded the loss of whom I loved. --Shak.

They hazard to cut their feet. --Landor.

Syn: To venture; risk; jeopard; peril; endanger.

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