Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Adventure?

\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. i. To try the chance; to take the risk. I would adventure for such merchandise. --Shak.