threat — W2S2 [θret] n [: Old English;] 1.) [U and C] a statement in which you tell someone that you will cause them harm or trouble if they do not do what you want ▪ Your threats don t scare me. threat of ▪ the threat of military invasion threat from ▪… … Dictionary of contemporary English
threat — [ θret ] noun *** 1. ) count an occasion when someone says that they will cause you harm or problems, especially if you do not do what they tell you to do: threat of: After threats of legal action they stopped the construction. make/issue a… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
threat — n: an expression of an intention to injure another: menace (1) criminal laws against making terroristic threat s Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 … Law dictionary
threat´en|er — threat|en «THEHT uhn», transitive verb. 1. to make a threat against; say what will be done to hurt or punish: »to threaten a person with imprisonment. The farmer threatened to shoot any dog that killed one of his sheep. 2. Figurative. to give… … Useful english dictionary
threat|en — «THEHT uhn», transitive verb. 1. to make a threat against; say what will be done to hurt or punish: »to threaten a person with imprisonment. The farmer threatened to shoot any dog that killed one of his sheep. 2. Figurative. to give warning of… … Useful english dictionary
Threat — may refer to: *behaviour that emphasizes one s aggressive potential, see threat display *An act of coercion wherein a negative consequence is proposed to elicit response (in the case of an empty threat there is no real negative consequence).… … Wikipedia
threat — threat·en; threat·en·er; threat·en·ing·ly; threat·ful; threat; threat·ful·ly; … English syllables
Threat — Threat, v. t. & i. [OE. [thorn]reten, AS. [thorn]re[ a]tian. See {Threat}, n.] To threaten. [Obs. or Poetic] Shak. [1913 Webster] Of all his threating reck not a mite. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] Our dreaded admiral from far they threat. Dryden.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
threat — [thret] n. [ME threte < OE threat, a throng, painful pressure, akin to Ger (ver)driessen, to grieve, annoy < IE * treud , to push, press (prob. < base * ter , to rub) > L trudere, to THRUST] 1. an expression of intention to hurt,… … English World dictionary
Threat — (thr[e^]t), n. [AS. [thorn]re[ a]t, akin to [=a][thorn]re[ o]tan to vex, G. verdriessen, OHG. irdriozan, Icel. [thorn]rj[=o]ta to fail, want, lack, Goth. us[thorn]riutan to vex, to trouble, Russ. trudite to impose a task, irritate, vex, L.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
threat — O.E. þreat crowd, troop, also oppression, menace, related to þreotan to trouble, weary, from P.Gmc. *threutanan (Cf. Ger. verdrießen to vex ), from PIE *trud push, press (Cf. L. trudere to press, thrust, O.C.S. trudu oppression, M.Ir … Etymology dictionary
