hazard

American  

[haz-erd] / ˈhæz ərd /

noun

1. an unavoidable danger or risk, even though often foreseeable.

   The job was full of hazards.

   Antonyms

   safety

2. something causing unavoidable danger, peril, risk, or difficulty.

   The many hazards of the big city did nothing to convince her to leave.

3. the absence or lack of predictability; chance; uncertainty.

   There is an element of hazard in the execution of the most painstaking plans.

   Synonyms:

   fortuitousness , fortuity , accident

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 their own ball after contact with another ball losing hazard.

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verb (used with object)

1. 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.

2. to put to the risk of being lost; expose to risk.

   In making the investment, he hazarded all his savings.

   Synonyms:

   imperil , peril , endanger , stake

3. to take or run the risk of (a misfortune, penalty, etc.).

   Thieves hazard arrest.

4. to venture upon (anything of doubtful issue).

   to hazard a dangerous encounter.

idioms

1. at hazard,  at risk; at stake; subject to chance.

   His reputation was at hazard in his new ventures.

hazard British  

/ ˈhæzəd /

noun

1. exposure or vulnerability to injury, loss, evil, etc

2. at risk; in danger

3. a thing likely to cause injury, etc

4. golf an obstacle such as a bunker, a road, rough, water, etc

5. chance; accident (esp in the phrase by hazard )

6. a gambling game played with two dice

7. real tennis

   1. the receiver's side of the court

   2. one of the winning openings

8. billiards a scoring stroke made either when a ball other than the striker's is pocketed ( winning hazard ) or the striker's cue ball itself ( losing hazard )

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verb

1. to chance or risk

2. to venture (an opinion, guess, etc)

3. to expose to danger

Related Words

See danger.

Other Word Forms

• hazard-free adjective
• hazardable adjective
• hazarder noun
• hazardless adjective
• prehazard adjective
• unhazarded adjective
• unhazarding adjective
• well-hazarded adjective

Etymology

Origin of hazard

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English hasard from Old French, perhaps from Arabic al-zahr “the die”

Example Sentences

Authorities also noted safety hazards associated with bamboo scaffolding, a longtime Hong Kong construction practice, and said they would discuss the gradual introduction of metal scaffolding.

From The Wall Street Journal

They got hazard pay, family-separation pay and were freed from federal income tax.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The chokepoints and the movement of the thicker ice—these create real hazards for ships. So even if there is temptation to move through, they really do have to be aware of that.”

From The Wall Street Journal

That is despite progress in increasing hazards allowance over the years, Citi says.

From The Wall Street Journal

The botched experiment quickly became a potential hazard to other vessels in the exercise.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• accident
• mishap
• possibility
• risk