A danger or risk; something that poses a threat to safety or well-being.
From Arabic az-zahr meaning 'the dice,' referring to a gambling game played with dice. The word entered Old French as hasard through Spanish azar during the Crusades, when European soldiers encountered this Arabic dice game. It passed into Middle English in the 14th century, initially referring specifically to dice games before broadening to mean any risky situation.
This word started as Arabic for 'dice' and came to English through medieval soldiers who learned to gamble from their enemies! The connection between dice games and danger was so strong that the gambling term became our general word for any risky situation.
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