precarious

Etymology 1

From Latin precārius (“begged for, obtained by entreaty”), from prex, precis (“prayer”). Compare French précaire, Portuguese precário, and Spanish and Italian precario.

adj

1. (comparable) Dangerously insecure or unstable; perilous.
   One can't escape the huge nuclear facility at Sellafield (supplier of much of the line's remaining freight traffic), or miss the wild shingle beaches with exposed and precarious bungalows sandwiched between the railway and the shore at Braystones. November 2 2022, Paul Bigland, “New trains, old trains, and splendid scenery”, in RAIL, number 969, page 57
2. (law) Depending on the intention of another.

Etymology 2

pre- + carious

adj

1. (dentistry) Relating to incipient caries.