Ad-vēnt'ūre1, n.
(-vĕnt'yur, 53), n. [O. Fr. adventure, aventure, N. Fr. aventure, Sp., Pg., & Pr. aventura, It. avventura, L. Lat. adventura, aventura, M. H. Ger. aventure, Ger. abenteuer; from Lat. advenire, supine adventum, future p. adventurus, to arrive, which in the Romance languages took the sense of to happen, to befall.]
Sense 1. That of which one has no direction; hazard; risk; chance; venture.
Nay, a far less good to man it will be found, if she must, at all adventures, be fastened upon him individually. Milton.
Sense 2. An enterprise of hazard; a bold undertaking, in which hazards are to be encountered, and the issue is staked upon unforeseen events. “Thine is the adventure, thine the victory.” Dryden.
Sense 3. A remarkable occurrence; a striking event, more or less important; as, the adventures of one's life. Bacon.
Sense 4. A thing sent to sea at the risk of the person sending it.
Sense 5. A dangerous condition; danger; peril. [Obs.] He was in great adventure of his life. Berners.
A bill of adventure (Com.), a writing signed by a person who takes goods on board of his ship wholly at the risk of the owner.
Synonyms— Incident; occurrence; event; contingency.