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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. That which happens without design; chance; hazard; hap; hence, chance of danger or loss. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nay, a far less good to man it will be found, if she must, at all adventures, be fastened upon him individually. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Risk; danger; peril. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

He was in great adventure of his life. Berners. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

He loved excitement and adventure. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A remarkable occurrence; a striking event; a stirring incident; as, the adventures of one's life. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A mercantile or speculative enterprise of hazard; a venture; a shipment by a merchant on his own account. [ 1913 Webster ]

A bill of adventure (Com.), a writing setting forth that the goods shipped are at the owner's risk. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Undertaking; enterprise; venture; event. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

He would not adventure himself into the theater. Acts xix. 31. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To venture upon; to run the risk of; to dare. [ 1913 Webster ]

Yet they adventured to go back. Bunyan, [ 1913 Webster ]

Discriminations might be adventured. J. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To try the chance; to take the risk. [ 1913 Webster ]

I would adventure for such merchandise. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Given to adventure. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. aventurier. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. One who adventures; as, the merchant adventurers; one who seeks his fortune in new and hazardous or perilous enterprises. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A social pretender on the lookout for advancement. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of risk; adventurous; venturesome. -- Ad*ven"ture*some*ness, n. [1913 Webster]

n. A female adventurer; a woman who tries to gain position by equivocal means. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Adventure, n. ] 1. Accident; chance; adventure. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Old Law) A mischance causing a person's death without felony, as by drowning, or falling into the fire. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To share in a venture. Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An adventure in which two or more persons are partakers. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A fellow adventurer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. dis- + adventure: cf. OF. desaventure. ] Misfortune; mishap. [ Obs. ] Sir W. Raleigh. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Disadventure, Adventure. ] Misfortune. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A disadventure. [ Obs. ] Shelton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. mesaventure, F. mésaventure. ] Mischance; misfortune; ill luck; unlucky accident; ill adventure. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Homicide by misadventure (Law), homicide which occurs when a man, doing a lawful act, without any intention of injury, unfortunately kills another; -- called also excusable homicide. See Homicide. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Mischance; mishap; misfortune; disaster; calamity. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Unfortunate. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Misadventure. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ Par + aventure. ] Peradventure; perchance. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. & conj. [ OE. per aventure, F. par aventure. See Per, and Adventure. ] By chance; perhaps; it may be; if; supposing. “If peradventure he speak against me.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city. Gen. xviii. 24. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Chance; hap; hence, doubt; question; as, proved beyond peradventure. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Ventured p. pr. & vb. n. Venturing. ] 1. To hazard one's self; to have the courage or presumption to do, undertake, or say something; to dare. Bunyan. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make a venture; to run a hazard or risk; to take the chances. [ 1913 Webster ]

Who freights a ship to venture on the seas. J. Dryden, Jr. [ 1913 Webster ]

To venture at, or
To venture on or
To venture upon, to dare to engage in; to attempt without any certainty of success; as, it is rash to venture upon such a project. “When I venture at the comic style.” Waller. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To expose to hazard; to risk; to hazard; as, to venture one's person in a balloon. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am afraid; and yet I'll venture it. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To put or send on a venture or chance; as, to venture a horse to the West Indies. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To confide in; to rely on; to trust. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A man would be well enough pleased to buy silks of one whom he would not venture to feel his pulse. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Aphetic form of OE. aventure. See Adventure. ] 1. An undertaking of chance or danger; the risking of something upon an event which can not be foreseen with certainty; a hazard; a risk; a speculation. [ 1913 Webster ]

I, in this venture, double gains pursue. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An event that is not, or can not be, foreseen; an accident; chance; hap; contingency; luck. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The thing put to hazard; a stake; a risk; especially, something sent to sea in trade. [ 1913 Webster ]

My ventures are not in one bottom trusted. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

At a venture, at hazard; without seeing the end or mark; without foreseeing the issue; at random. [ 1913 Webster ]

A certain man drew a bow at a venture. 1 Kings xxii. 34. [ 1913 Webster ]

A bargain at a venture made. Hudibras. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The phrase at a venture was originally at aventure, that is, at adventure. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who ventures, or puts to hazard; an adventurer. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A strumpet; a prostitute. [ R. ] J. Webster (1607). [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Inclined to venture; not loth to run risk or danger; venturous; bold; daring; adventurous; as, a venturesome boy or act. -- Ven"ture*some*ly, adv. -- Ven"ture*some*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]