menace

English

Etymology 1

First attested ante 1300: from the Old French manace, menace, from the Latin minācia, from minax (“threatening”), from minor (“I threaten”).

Noun

menace (plural menaces)

1. a perceived threat or danger
2. the act of threatening
3. a dangerous person

References

• “menace, n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2ⁿᵈ Ed.; 1989]

Etymology 2

First attested in 1303: from the Old French menacer, manecier, manechier and the Anglo-Norman manasser, from the assumed Vulgar Latin *mināciāre, from the Latin minācia, whence the noun.

Verb

menace (third-person singular simple present menaces, present participle menacing, simple past and past participle menaced) (transitive or intransitive)

1. to make threats (against someone); to intimidate
2. to endanger someone or something; to imperil or jeopardize

References

• “menace, v.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2ⁿᵈ Ed.; 1989]

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French

Etymology

From Latin minācia < minax.

Pronunciation

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Noun

menace f. (plural menaces)

1. threat

Related terms

• menacer

Verb

menace

1. first-person singular present indicative of menacer
2. third-person singular present indicative of menacer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of menacer
4. first-person singular present subjunctive of menacer
5. second-person singular imperative of menacer