participation in exciting undertakings or enterprises: the spirit of adventure.
3.
a bold, usually risky undertaking; hazardous action of uncertain outcome.
4.
a commercial or financial speculation of any kind; venture.
5.
Obsolete.
a.
peril; danger; risk.
b.
chance; fortune; luck.
–verb (used with object)
6.
to risk or hazard.
7.
to take the chance of; dare.
8.
to venture to say or utter: to adventure an opinion.
–verb (used without object)
9.
to take the risk involved.
10.
to venture; hazard.
[Origin: 1200–50; ME aventure < AF, OF < VL *adventūra what must happen, fem. (orig. neut. pl.) of L adventūrus fut. participle of advenīre to arrive; ad-ad-r. a-a-5. See advent, -ure]
c.1230, auenture "chance, fortune, luck," from O.Fr. auenture, from L. aventura (res) "(a thing) about to happen," from future participle of advenire "to come about," from ad- "to" + venire "to come" (see venue). Original meaning was "to arrive," in Latin, but in M.E. it took a turn through "risk/danger" (a trial of one's chances), and "perilous undertaking" (c.1314), and thence to "a novel or exciting incident" (1570). The -d- was restored 15c.-16c. Venture (q.v.) is a 15c. variant.
Ad*ven"ture\ (?; 135), n. [OE. aventure, aunter, anter, F. aventure, fr. LL. adventura, fr. L. advenire, adventum, to arrive, which in the Romance languages took the sense of "to happen, befall." See Advene.]1. That which happens without design; chance; hazard; hap; hence, chance of danger or loss. Nay, a far less good to man it will be found, if she must, at all adventures, be fastened upon him individually. --Milton. 2. Risk; danger; peril. [Obs.] He was in great adventure of his life. --Berners. 3. The encountering of risks; hazardous and striking enterprise; a bold undertaking, in which hazards are to be encountered, and the issue is staked upon unforeseen events; a daring feat. He loved excitement and adventure. --Macaulay. 4. A remarkable occurrence; a striking event; a stirring incident; as, the adventures of one's life. --Bacon. 5. A mercantile or speculative enterprise of hazard; a venture; a shipment by a merchant on his own account. A bill of adventure (Com.), a writing setting forth that the goods shipped are at the owner's risk. Syn: Undertaking; enterprise; venture; event.
Ad*ven"ture\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Adventured; p. pr. & vb. n. Adventuring.] [OE. aventuren, auntren, F. aventurer, fr. aventure. See Adventure, n.]1. To risk, or hazard; jeopard; to venture. He would not adventure himself into the theater. --Acts xix. 31. 2. To venture upon; to run the risk of; to dare. Yet they adventured to go back. --Bunyan, Discriminations might be adventured. --J. Taylor.
Ad*ven"ture\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Adventured; p. pr. & vb. n. Adventuring.] [OE. aventuren, auntren, F. aventurer, fr. aventure. See Adventure, n.]1. To risk, or hazard; jeopard; to venture. He would not adventure himself into the theater. --Acts xix. 31. 2. To venture upon; to run the risk of; to dare. Yet they adventured to go back. --Bunyan, Discriminations might be adventured. --J. Taylor.
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