different between culprit vs menace

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman cul. prit, contraction of culpable: prest (d'averrer nostre bille) 'guilty: ready (to prove our case)', words used by prosecutor in opening a trial, mistaken in English for an address to the defendant. See culpable.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?k???p??t]

Noun

culprit (plural culprits)

1. The person or thing at fault for a problem or crime.

   I have tightened the loose bolt that was the culprit; it should work now.
2. (Britain, law) A prisoner accused but not yet tried.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:criminal

Related terms

• culpable
• mea culpa

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?n?s/
• Rhymes: -?n?s

Etymology 1

First attested ante 1300: borrowed from the Old French manace, menace, from the Vulgar Latin *min?cia, from min?x, min?ciae (“threatening; threats”), from minor (“I threaten”).

Noun

menace (plural menaces)

1. A perceived threat or danger.

   • the dark menace of the distant war.

2. The act of threatening.
3. (informal) An annoying and bothersome person or thing.

Translations

References

• “menace, n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989]

Etymology 2

First attested in 1303: from Old French menacer, manecier, manechier and Anglo-Norman manasser, from the assumed Vulgar Latin *min?ci?re, from Latin min?cia, whence the noun.

Verb

menace (third-person singular simple present menaces, present participle menacing, simple past and past participle menaced) (transitive, intransitive)

1. (transitive) To make threats against (someone); to intimidate.
2. To threaten (an evil to be inflicted).
3. To endanger (someone or something); to imperil or jeopardize.

Translations

References

• “menace, v.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989]

French

Etymology

From Old French manace, from Vulgar Latin *min?cia (“threat”), from Latin min?x (“threatening”), min?ciae (“threats”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /m?.nas/

Noun

menace f (plural menaces)

1. threat

Related terms

• menacer

Verb

menace

1. first-person singular present indicative of menacer
2. third-person singular present indicative of menacer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of menacer
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of menacer
5. second-person singular imperative of menacer

Further reading

• “menace” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Friulian

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *min?cia, from the plural of Latin min?x (“threatening”); cf. min?ciae (“threats”).

Noun

menace f (plural menacis)

1. threat, menace

Related terms

• menaçâ