adventure
verbEtymology From Middle English aventuren, auntren, from Old French aventurer, from aventure.
1
Archaic To risk oneself.
- O man cõmyttynge thy lyfe vnto the ſtreme / Alas note well thy deſyrous vanyte / Howe thou the [thee] auentereſt in holowe beame / To pas the ſee in contynuall ieopardye […]1509 December 24 (Gregorian calendar), [Sebastian Brant], translated by Alexander Barclay, “Of Folysshe Exchanges Scorsyngꝭ ⁊ Ꝑmutacions”, in […] The Shyp of Folys of the Worlde […], London: […] Rycharde Pynson […], →OCLC, folio CLXXXIX, recto; republished as The Shyp of Folys (The English Experience […]; 229), Amsterdam: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum; New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press, 1970, →ISBN:
- And certaine of the chiefe of Aſia, which were his friends, ſent vnto him, deſiring him that he would not aduenture himſelfe into the Theatre.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 19:31, signature [N6], recto, column 2:
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- And they only deſired a Permiſſion from the Queen. And the Queen had much ado to detain them from adventuring themſelves thither: […]1725, John Strype, “The Earl of ’’Worcester’’ Goes into France, to Assist at the Christening of the ’’French’’ King’s Daughter. […]”, in Annals of the Reformation and Establishment of Religion, and Other Various Occurrences in the Church of England; […], volume II, London: […] Tho[mas] Edlin, […], →OCLC, page 174:
- “Are you Christians?” shouted he, before he would adventure himself near the ship.1866, C[harles] Kingsley, “How Hereward Was Wrecked upon the Flanders Shore”, in Hereward the Wake, “Last of the English.” […], volume I, London; Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 174:
- We adventured ourselves into the unknown recesses of the house, and sat gingerly on greasy horsehair-seated chairs, in the parlour, […]1903, E[dith] Œ[none] Somerville, Martin Ross [pseudonym; Violet Florence Martin], “The Dane’s Breechin’”, in All on the Irish Shore: Irish Sketches, London; New York, N.Y.; Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], →OCLC, part I, page 225:
- Teachers whose powers of mathematical and scientific thought are undeveloped may feel encouraged by these records to adventure themselves into the child’s wonderful world of discovery.1973, Alice Yardley, “[Index] Discovering the Physical World”, in Young Children Thinking, New York, N.Y.: Citation Press, →ISBN, page 142:
2
To risk oneself; to dare to go somewhere or undertake something.
- [A]fter the confusion of tongues, when Japhet and his posteretie, emboldened by example of Noe, adventured by shipp into diverse west ilelandes, […]c. 1571, Edmund Campion, edited by A[lphonsus] F[ranciscus] Vossen, Two Bokes of the Histories of Ireland […], Assen, Drenthe: Van Gorcum & Comp N.V. […], published 1963, →OCLC, page 28:
- Why, we wil ſet forth before or after them, and appoint them a place of meeting, wherein it is at our pleaſure to faile; and then wil they aduenture vpõ the exploit themſelues, which they ſhal haue no ſooner atchieued but weele ſet vpon them.c. 1597 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The History of Henrie the Fourth; […], quarto edition, London: […] P[eter] S[hort] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1598, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], signature B.i., verso:
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- It was plainly told thee what the iſſue of thy rejecting Chriſt would be, and yet after ſufficient warning, thou adventuredſt upon it; […]1689, John Flavell, “Sermon V. Revel[ation] 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door [and knock] &c”, in Englands Duty, under the Present Gospel Liberty. From Revel. III. Vers. 20. […], London: […] Matthew Wotton […], →OCLC, page 171:
- By this Time the Spider was adventured out when beholding the Chaſms, and Ruins, and Dilapidations of his Fortreſs, he was very near at his Wit’s end, he ſtormed and ſwore like a Mad-man, and ſwelled till he was ready to burſt.1704, [Jonathan Swift], “A Full and True Account of the Battel Fought Last Friday, between the Antient and the Modern Books in St. James’s Library”, in A Tale of a Tub. […], London: […] John Nutt, […], published 1705, →OCLC, page 244:
- Now Harold felt himself at length alone, / And bade to Christian tongues a long adieu; / Now he adventur’d on a shore unknown, / Which all admire, but many dread to view: […]1812, Lord Byron, “Canto II”, in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. A Romaunt, London: […] [F]or John Murray, […]; William Blackwood, Edinburgh; and John Cumming, Dublin; by Thomas Davison, […], →OCLC, stanza XLII, page 82:
- He gave Kitty advice about everything; he tramped the hills with the dogs, carrying a shot-gun that he never used; and he adventured upon a recently recommended diet of buttermilk and hickory-nuts.1919, Zöe Akins, chapter V, in Cake Upon the Waters, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC, page 85:
3
Archaic, With infinitive To try the chance; to take the risk.
- What? threat you me with telling of the King? I will auoucht’t in preſence of the King: I dare aduenture to be ſent to th’Towre.c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], page 177, column 2:
- Yet they adventured to go back; but it was ſo dark, and the flood was ſo high, that in their going back, they had like to have been drowned nine or ten times.1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC, page 150:
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- The year following the ſaid [William] Warham was tranſlated to Canterbury, at whoſe inthronization ſomething occurred relating to this Univerſity; which though a little out of the road, yet I ſhall adventure to remember it, and it is this.1792, Anthony à Wood, The History and Antiquities of the University of Oxford: […], volume I, Oxford, Oxfordshire: John Gutch, →OCLC, page 661:
- These impure pictures are from the same illustrious and impious hands that adventured to call before us the august forms of Apostles and Saints, the Blessed Mother of the Redeemer, and her Son, at his death, and in his glory, and even the awfulness of Him to whom the martyrs, dead a thousand years ago, have not yet dared to raise their eyes.1860, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Emptiness of Picture-Galleries”, in The Marble Faun: Or, The Romance of Monte Beni. […], volume II, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, page 134:
- [John] Smith alone, having saved, by care in picory, some moneys, and finding trade slackening, adventured to regain a more reputable way of living.1903 July, Harold G. Parsons, “A Knight of the Sun”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXXIV, number MLIII, Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood & Sons, […], →ISSN, →OCLC, page 29, column 1:
4
To dare to say or utter.
- But were I to adventure an opinion I would affirm that, were the Vice-Preſident now in this city, he would himſelf be mute!1802 June 22, [James Cheetham], “Introduction”, in A View of the Political Conduct of Aaron Burr, Esq., Vice-President of the United States, New York, N.Y.: […] Denniston & Cheetham, […], →OCLC, page 5:
- ‘Did he tell you about us?’ she adventured, cautiously.1899, L[ucy] B[ethia] Walford, “One of Ourselves”, in Longman’s Magazine, volume XXXV, number CCIX, London; New York, N.Y.; Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], published March 1900, →ISSN, →OCLC, chapter XIV (‘My Dears, Have You Ever Heard of Me?’), page 409:
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- [William] Wake’s immense correspondence on behalf of Christian unity has been analysed fully, if not definitively, by Norman Sykes, and related to the situations in France, Switzerland, and Germany, but we may adventure a comment upon it without recapitulating an intricate, and like ecumenical narratives generally, often tedious, story.1986, [Ernest] Gordon Rupp, “Conversations”, in Religion in England 1688–1791 (Oxford History of the Christian Church), Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →ISBN, part I (‘Names and Sects and Parties’), chapter 5 (Church of England Men), pages 77–78:
5
Archaic To venture upon; to run the risk of; to dare.
- Now if it ſo be that it woulde happely be thought not a thyng metely to be aduentured to ſet all on a fluſhe at ones, and daſhe raſhelye out holye ſcrypture in euerye lewde felowes teeth: […]1528, Thomas More, “A Dialogue Concernynge Heresyes & Matters of Religion […]. The .16. Chapiter. The Messẽger Rehearseth Some Causes Which He Hath Herd Laid by Some of yͤ Clergie: […].”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, book III, page 245, column 2:
- Discriminations might be adventured.c. 1860, Isaac Taylor, Heads in Groups:
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- The epic is one that could be adventured nowhere else; only this region affords the conditions.1924 December 19, Blanche Colton Williams, “Introduction”, in O. Henry Memorial Award: Prize Stories of 1924, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC, page xiii:
- In that time of respite and hope, when because of the deeds of the Mormegil the power of Morgoth was stemmed west of Sirion, Morwen fled at last from Dor-lómin with Nienor her daughter, and adventured the long journey to Thingol’s halls.a. 1974 (date written), J[ohn] R[onald] R[euel] Tolkien, “Quenta Silmarillion: The History of the Silmarils”, in Christopher Tolkien, editor, The Silmarillion, 1st American edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company, published 15 September 1977, →ISBN, page 211:
6
To risk or hazard; jeopard.
- Foꝛ what wiſe merchaunt aduentureth all his good in one ſhip?c. 1513 (date written), Thomas More, “The History of King Richard the Thirde (Vnfinished) […]”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, page 51, column 2:
- So it is reaſon, that wher the citizen aduentureth his lyfe, there the citie ſhould doe him ſome honor after his death.1557, Anthony of Gueuara [i.e., Antonio de Guevara], “Where the Auctoure Speaketh of the Byrthe, and Lynage, of the Wyse Philosopher and Emperoure, Marcus Aurelius. […]”, in Thomas North, transl., The Diall of Princes. […], London: […] [Thomas Marsh for] Iohn Waylande, →OCLC, 1st booke, folio 1, verso:
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- For the love of one thou adventuredst thy life and the very existence of thy house and name.a. 1836, the Ettrick Shepherd [pseudonym; James Hogg], chapter XIV, in Tales and Sketches […], volume VI, Glasgow; Edinburgh; London: Blackie & Son, […], published 1837, →OCLC, page 260:
- Understand, O my son, that thou adventurest thy life and this is all I can do for thee, and—the peace!1885, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Hasan of Bassorah. [Night 803.]”, in A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume VIII, [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC, page 83:
- With lover’s gaze / We watched while thou adventuredst thy soul / Unto the utmost verge of what man may / To follow her fair feet.1915 July 21, C[harles] K[endall] Harrington, “To England”, in The Morning Bulletin, volume VI, number 267, Edmonton, Alta., published 7 March 1916, →OCLC, page 2, column 4:
- The first object was to bring within forseeable and moderate limits the risks to be undertaken by the shipowner when he adventured his ship on a commercial enterprise.1946 October 12, [Leslie] Scott, quotee, “United Africa Co. Ltd. v. Owners of M.V. Tolten. The Tolten.”, in The All England Law Reports Annotated […], volume 2, London: […] Proprietors of the Law Journal, […], →OCLC, page 379:
- Derived terms
- adventurer, adventuress, unadventured, unadventuring