venture

What it means

1. A risky or daring undertaking or journey.

   My heart was beating finely when we two set forth in the cold night upon this dangerous venture.

   1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, chapter 4, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part I (The Old Buccaneer), page 30

   1 more example

   Other jobs which the governor entrusted to Ch'ao-tung dealt with the economic exploitation of the newly won mountain areas. In the Miao-li region, Ch'ao-tung headed an office for developing the petroleum resources discovered there.³⁸ Without much success during his tenure, the venture was later turned over to private entrepreneurs.

   1979, Johanna Menzel Meskill, A Chinese Pioneer Family, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 191

   Synonyms: enterprise, pursuit, activity, doings, endeavor, enterprise, pursuance, pursuit

2. An event that is not, or cannot be, foreseen.

   A certain man drew a bow at a venture and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Kings 22:34

   Synonyms: accident, chance, contingency, chance, contingency, contingent, eventuality, possibility

3. The thing risked; especially, something sent to sea in trade.

   My ventures are not in one bottom trusted.

   c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]

   Synonyms: stake

In a sentence

My heart was beating finely when we two set forth in the cold night upon this dangerous venture.

1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, chapter 4, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part I (The Old Buccaneer), page 30

Where it comes from

Clipping of adventure.