Origin story
Likely through Old French from Arabic al-zahr, a die used in games of chance.
Why it sticks
Risk vocabulary grew out of dice before spreadsheets got involved.
Risk
Risk vocabulary grew out of dice before spreadsheets got involved.
Likely through Old French from Arabic al-zahr, a die used in games of chance.
Risk vocabulary grew out of dice before spreadsheets got involved.
A short etymology card for hazard: origin, meaning history, memorable hook, and source-language context.
Use this page as a public web reference, not an official agency record. The linked official source remains the final authority.
Word Origin Atlas. "Hazard Origin and Meaning | Word Origin Atlas". https://www.wordoriginatlas.com/words/hazard/. Reviewed Jul 2026.
Source and citation notes