Haz″ard (hăz″ẽrd), n. [F. hasard, Sp. azar an unforeseen disaster or accident, an unfortunate card or throw at dice, prob. fr. Ar. zahr, zār, a die, which, with the article al the, would give azzahr, azzār.] 1. A game of chance played with dice. Chaucer.
2. The uncertain result of throwing a die; hence, a fortuitous event; chance; accident; casualty.
I will stand the hazard of the die. Shak.
3. Risk; danger; peril; as, he encountered the enemy at the hazard of his reputation and life.
Men are led on from one stage of life to another in a condition of the utmost hazard. Rogers.
4. (Billiards) Holing a ball, whether the object ball (winning hazard) or the player's ball (losing hazard).
5. Anything that is hazarded or risked, as the stakes in gaming. “Your latter hazard.” Shak.
Hazard table, a table on which hazard is played, or any game of chance for stakes. — To run the hazard, to take the chance or risk.
Syn. — Danger; risk; chance. See Danger.