I. To commit to chance.
1. trans. To take the chance of; to commit to fortune; to undertake a thing of doubtful issue; to try, to chance, to venture upon.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 70. Toward þis lond þei drouh, to auenture his chance.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reves T., 289. I wol arise and auntre it by my fay.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1319/2. Readie prest to aduenture anie aduentures for your gratious fauour.
a. 1618. Raleigh, Instruct. Son, iii. (1651), 11. He adventures thy mislike, and doth hazard thy hatred.
1633. Ford, Love’s Sacr., I. ii. (1839), 78. I am loth to move my lord unto offence; Yet I’ll adventure chiding.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 184. From east to west … it [a voyage] may be adventured with ease.
1815. Scott, Ld. of Isles, VI. xiv. I would adventure forth my lance.
1834. Ht. Martineau, Moral, III. 89. Surely no statesman will be found to adventure it.
2. To risk the loss of, to risk, stake; to imperil, or expose (to danger).
a. 1300. K. Alis., 4265. Hors and kyng … Was auntred undur the water.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom. (1879), 40. Thou haddist auntred thi owne body.
a. 1535. More, Rich. III., Wks. 1557, 51/2. For what wise merchaunt aduentureth all his good in one ship.
1648. Cottrell, Davila (1678), 709. To adventure his Army to new dangers.
1654. Goddard, in Burton’s Diary (1828), I. 84. We had adventured our lives and liberties for the cause.
1665. Evelyn, Diary (1827), II. 250. My Wife went back to Wotton, I not as yet willing to adventure her.
1860. Motley, Netherl. (1868), I. vi. 300. Elizabeth was taking the diadem from her head … and adventuring it upon the doubtful chance of war.
3. refl. To risk oneself; to venture.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 3268. Of þo wiþ-inne · non wold hem out aunter.
1393. Langland, P. Pl., C. XXI. 232. And after auntrede god hym-self · and tok adams kynde.
c. 1440. Morte Arthure, 360. I salle auntyre me anes hys egle to touche.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 65 b. To auenture myself in the conqueste of the noble moton or flees of golde.
1509. Barclay, Ship of Fooles (1570), 178. Howe thou thee aventrest in holowe beame.
1611. Bible, Acts xix. 31. Desiring him that he would not aduenture himselfe into the Theatre.
1697. Potter, Antiq. Greece, III. iv. (1715), 22. Thinking it unsafe to adventure themselves abroad.
1803. Wellington, in Gen. Desp., I. 568. You must … take care not to adventure yourself single handed against the combined forces of those chiefs.
4. intr. (by omission of refl. pron.) To risk oneself, to venture, to dare to come or go (in, into, on, upon any place). fig. To venture (on, upon a course or action), to dare to undertake. To adventure at (obs. rare): to dare to attack.
c. 1340. Alisaunder (Skeat), 902. Þe armed Atenieeins auntred hym till.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, XII. 4985. Þen auntred Vlexes and his erund said.
1575–6. Thynne, Lett., in Animadv., 54. I rashely aduentured beyoynde the course of my desertes.
a. 1581. Campian, Hist. Irel. (1633), vii. 22. When Iapheth … adventured by ship into divers West Ilands.
1581. Lambarde, Eiren., II. iii. 117. Staying them that doe any way aduenture towardes the breach thereof.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., I. ii. 192. Then will they aduenture vppon the exploit.
a. 1628. F. Greville, Life of Sidney (1652), 33. This Narration I adventure of, to show the clearness and readiness of this Gentlemans judgment.
1642. Milton, Apol. Smect. (1851), 293. To strike high, and adventure dangerously at the most eminent vices among the greatest persons.
1704. Swift, Batt. Bks. (1711), 235. By this time the Spider was adventur’d out.
1797–8. Wellesley, Desp., 779. Every man who pleases may adventure thither.
1812. Byron, Childe Har., II. xliii. Now he adventured on a shore unknown.
1878. E. White, Life in Christ, III. xvii. 215. The awe under which it becomes sinful men to adventure into that Holiest Place.
5. intr. (with inf.) To dare, to run the risk, make the experiment; to go so far as, to venture.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, Rolls Ser. I. 29. Þe secunde book auntreþ forto telle berynge and dedes.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, I. 314. The Emperour Alexaunder Aunterid to come.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xlii. 134. Noo body durste not auenture for to goo to hym.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., I. iii. 116. I dare aduenture to be sent to th’ Towre.
1616. Sir R. Dudley, in Fortesc. Pap., 15. My very enemies have never adventured to esteem me ungratefull.
1678. Quarles, Arg. & Parth., 11. [He] boldly enters, and after mutual complement adventers To break the Ice of his dissembled grief.
1719. Wodrow, Corr. (1843), II. 431. I adventured to show him the volume I brought up.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., 288. She feared she could not safely adventure to do so.
II. To be or come as a chance.
† 6. intr. To come by chance, happen, chance, befall. Usually impers. Obs.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, XX. 8235. Hit auntrit, þat Ector was angrit full euill. Ibid., II. 742. And oft in astronamy hit auntres to falle, Þat domes men dessauis. Ibid., VI. 2107. Þe Authwart answares þat Auntrid hym þere Ys knowen.
