Peril
/ˈpɛr.əl/noun
Serious and immediate danger.
Did you know?The word entered English through Old French from Latin perīculum, and its history is tied to the idea of proving something by exposure to danger rather than to any occult meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to try, risk, or go through with an action”
Latin
Latin
perīculum
“trial, experiment, danger, risk”
Old French
Old French
peril
“danger, risk, peril”
Middle English
English
peril
“danger, hazard, serious risk”
Modern English
English
peril
“serious and immediate danger”
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