hazard (
http://definr.com/hazard)
n 1: a source of danger; "drinking alcohol is a health hazard"
[syn:
jeopardy,
peril,
risk]
2: an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event
to result one way rather than another; "bad luck caused
his downfall"; "we ran into each other by pure chance"
[syn:
luck,
fortune,
chance]
3: an obstacle on a golf course
v 1: put forward, of a guess; "I am guessing that the price of
real estate will rise again" [syn:
guess,
venture]
2: put at risk; "I will stake my good reputation for this"
[syn:
venture,
adventure,
stake,
jeopardize]
3: take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome; "When you
buy these stocks you are gambling" [syn:
gamble,
chance,
risk,
take chances,
adventure,
run a risk, {take
a chance}]