Forms: see JEOPARDY; also 5 iouperd, geoparde, ieoparte, 7 jeabard, -poard, 9 jipper. [Back-formation from JEOPARDY.
No example from 1654 to 19th c. Marked Obs. by Johnson 1755. F. Vesey in Decl. Eng. Lang. 1841, censures Johnson for including it, and says ‘it is quite out of use,’ and its attempted revival ‘indicates rather a spirit of research than good taste.’]
1. trans. To put in jeopardy; to expose to loss, injury or death; to hazard, risk, imperil. † Often in alliterative phr. to jeopard a joint, sc. of a finger, as opposed to the whole body (obs.).
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, IV. 1538 (1566). And er þat ye Iuparten so youre names Beth nought to hasty.
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, II. x. F 3. Day by day his life he gan Ieoparte, Tofore their walles for to preue his mighte.
c. 1440. Generydes, 4480. Nay, god defende it … That ye shall iupert me so in this case.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. ccxxxviii. 276. To ieoberde his propre persone agayne Crystes enemyes.
1530. Palsgr., 596/1. I juparte, I put in daunger or adventure.
1535. Coverdale, Judg. v. 18. Zabulons people ioperde their life vnto death.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VII., 7. Taryenge draweth and ieopardeth perell.
1556. J. Heywood, Spider & F., lvii. 105. Rather then ieberd in war; goods life and all.
1563. Homilies, II. Excesse of apparell, ¶ 6. Manye a one ieopardeth his beste ioynte to maintayne him self in sumptuous rayment.
1570. Levins, Manip., 31/5. Ioparde, periclitari.
1600. Dekker, Fortunatus, Wks. 1873, I. 153. My ten duckets are like my ten fingers, they will not jeopard a joynt for you.
1623. Cockeram, II., To Hazard, Ieobard.
a. 1625. Fletcher, Wom. Pleased, III. ii. Are not you three now going to be sinfull, to jeabard a joynt or so?
1654. in Hammond, Answ. Animadv. Ignat., iii. § 3. 64. I dare not be so bold with my soul as to jeopard it in that manner.
1822. Scott, Nigel, xxx. This man Gregory is not fit to jipper a joint with him.
1838. Prescott, Ferd. & Is. (1846), II. II. i. 249. To jeopard the interests of the Spanish sovereigns.
1867. Freeman, Norm. Conq., I. vi. 513. As ready to jeopard his life and fortune … as ever his … forefathers had been.
1896. Edith Thompson, Red Mirko, i. in Monthly Packet, Christm. No. 86. I will jeopard my own head rather than throw him over.
† b. with inf. To risk doing something. Obs.
1456. Paston Lett., I. 408. The toun arose, and wold have jouperdit to have distressed the Duke of Somerset. Ibid. (1479), III. 259. I dar well juperde to take a dystres.
1535. Coverdale, 2 Sam. xv. 20. Thou camest yesterdaye, and to daye thou iuperdest to go with vs.
1554. Knox, Godly Let., D ij. Why will you ieoperde to lese the lyfe euerlastinge?
† c. intr. (for refl.) To risk oneself, to run the risk; to venture, adventure. Obs.
1430–40. Lydg., Bochas, III. i. (1558), 40 b. It were foly with suche one to ieoparte.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1874), II. 251. Who that dare auenture or ieparde for to rowe Vpon the se swellynge by waues great and hye.
1530. Palsgr., 561/2. I geoparde, I adventure … I coulde have gotten a goodly botye one daye … if I durst have geoparded.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scot., III. x. To ieoperde aganis sa huge multitude of peple.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., I. Scot. 236/1. In nowise to ieoparde with them in any pight field.
1598. R. Bernard, trans. Terence (1607), 88. I ieoparded almost farre enough.
† 2. trans. To stake, bet. Obs.
c. 1470. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 287. The kyng schold be enrychyd for his parte … I dare playnly joparte.
c. 1563. Jack Jugler, in Four Old Plays (1848), 17. I durst ieoperd an hunderid pounde That sum bauderie might now within be founde.
1579. Fulwell, Art Flatterie, H iij (N.). I dare ieobard my cappe to fortie shillings, thou shalt have but a colde suite.
1579–80. North, Plutarch, Alexander. I am content (quoth Alexander) to ieopard the price of the horse.
† 3. Venery. (Meaning uncertain: see quots.) Obs.
1575. Gascoigne, Wordes of Hart, in Turberv., Venerie, 139. He ieopardes and rechates: ahlas he blowes the fall And soundes that deadly dolful mote, whiche I muste die withall.
1897. D. H. Madden, Diary Master W. Silence, iv. 50. The huntsman, now that scent is lost for a time, at all events, jeopards with his horn, an ancient usage that places the prospects of the chase indeed in jeopardy…. I have sought in vain for any explanation of this term of art.
Hence Jeoparded ppl. a., Jeoparding vbl. sb. Also Jeoparder, one who puts in jeopardy.
1534. More, Lett., in Roper, Life (1731), 122. I could not swere without the jubarding of my soule to perpetual dampnacion.
1611. Cotgr., Hasardeur, a hazarder, venturer, ieoparder, aduenturer.
1783. Ainsworth, Lat. Dict. (Morell), I. A jeoparding, periclitatio.
