Word of the Day

: July 2, 2007

jeopardy

noun JEP-er-dee

What It Means

1 : exposure to or imminence of death, loss, or injury : danger

2 : the danger that an accused person is subjected to when on trial for a criminal offense

jeopardy in Context

Rather than risk placing his passengers in jeopardy, the pilot waited for the storm to pass before taking off.

Did You Know?

Centuries ago, the Old French term "jeu parti" didn't mean "danger" but rather "an alternative" or, literally, "a divided game." That French expression was used for anything that represented an alternative viewpoint or gave two opposing viewpoints. "Jeu parti" passed into Anglo-French as "juparti," and from there it was borrowed into Middle English and respelled "jeopardie." At first, the English word was used to refer to the risks associated with alternative moves in the game of chess. Soon, however, the term came to be used more generally in the "risk" or "danger" sense that it has today.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.