Etymology, English, Danger

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”).

Displaced native Old English frēcennes.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈdeɪn.dʒə(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈdeɪndʒɚ/

Noun

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.
3. (obsolete) Mischief.
4. (mainly outside the US, rail transport) The stop indication of a signal (usually in the phrase “at danger”).

   The north signal was in danger because of the rockslide.

5. (obsolete) Ability to harm; someone’s dominion or power to harm or penalize.
6. (obsolete) Liability.
7. (obsolete) Difficulty; sparingness.
8. (obsolete) Coyness; disdainful behavior.

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.
3. (obsolete) To run the risk.