jeopardy Hear it!

jeopardy definition

jeop·ardy (-dē)

noun pl. jeopardies -·ard·ies

  1. great danger; peril to have one's life in jeopardy
  2. Law exposure to conviction and punishment; situation of an accused person on trial for a crime

Etymology: ME jeuparti < OFr jeu parti, lit., a divided game, game with even chances < ML jocus partitus, an even chance, alternative < L jocus, a game, joke + pp. of partire, to divide: see part

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.