venture

plural ventures

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

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   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

present singular third person ventures · participle present venturing · participle past ventured · past ventured

1. transitiveTo undertake a risky or daring journey.

   who freights a ship to venture on the seas

   1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden Jun., transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Fourteenth Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC

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   A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: […]

   1949, Joseph Campbell, “The Hero and the God”, in The Hero with a Thousand Faces

2. transitiveTo risk or offer.

   to venture funds

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   to venture a guess

   Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

   I am afraid; and yet I'll venture it.

   c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]

   Till then they had only exchanged glances of the most casual but now under the brim of her new hat she ventured a look at him and the face that met her gaze there in the twilight, wan and strangely drawn, seemed to her the saddest she had ever seen.

   1922, James Joyce, chapter 13, in Ulysses

   [...] Mrs. Bray [...] expressed amazement at the speed with which the station was completed, and ventured the opinion that private contractors could still learn something from the railway companies.

   1939 November, “What the Railways are Doing: Penda's Way—A Station built in a Day”, in Railway Magazine, page 364

3. intransitiveTo dare to engage in; to attempt without any certainty of success.
4. transitiveTo put or send on a venture or chance.

   to venture a horse to the West Indies

5. transitiveTo confide in; to rely on; to trust.

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

   1711, Joseph Addison, “No. 21, Saturday, March 24, 1710-11”, in The Spectator

6. transitiveTo say something; to offer an opinion.

   If I were to take an educated guess, I'd venture that maybe the author of this world was into wearing tanktops and the Indigo Girls.

   2011, Qui Nguyen, She Kills Monsters, spoken by Tilly Evans, New York, N.Y.: Samuel French, scene VIII

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   “Unctuous is probably quite a good description, but there's a sweetness, too, and a mouthfeel,” ventures Heston Blumenthal, chef at the Fat Duck at Bray.

   2000 January 28, Oliver Burkeman, quoting Heston Blumenthal, “Things that make you go yum”, in The Guardian, →ISSN