/ ˈperəl; NAmE / noun ( formal or literary )
1.
[ U ] serious danger :
The country's economy is now in grave peril.
2.
[ C , usually pl. ] peril (of sth) the fact of sth being dangerous or harmful :
a warning about the perils of drug abuse
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IDIOMS
- do sth at your (own) peril
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French , from Latin peric(u)lum danger, from the base of experiri to try.