Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: French
Origin: Latin minacia, from minari 'to threaten'

menace

1 noun
     
men‧ace1
1 [countable] something or someone that is dangerous [= threat]
menace of
It's the only way to deal with the menace of drug dealing.
menace to
That man's a menace to society. He should be locked away.
the growing menace of oil pollution at sea
2 [uncountable] a threatening quality, feeling, or way of behaving:
There was menace in his voice.
air/sense of menace
There was a sense of menace as the sky grew darker.
3 [countable] a person, especially a child that is annoying or causes trouble [= nuisance]:
My little brother's a real menace.
4

with menaces

British English law if someone asks another person for something with menaces, they use threats of violence to get what they want:
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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