\Ad*ven"ture\ (?; 135), 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.]
1. That which happens without design; chance; hazard; hap;
   hence, chance of danger or loss.
         Nay, a far less good to man it will be found, if she
         must, at all adventures, be fastened upon him
         individually.                         --Milton.
2. Risk; danger; peril. [Obs.]
         He was in great adventure of his life. --Berners.
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.
         He loved excitement and adventure.    --Macaulay.
4. A remarkable occurrence; a striking event; a stirring
   incident; as, the adventures of one's life. --Bacon.
5. A mercantile or speculative enterprise of hazard; a
   venture; a shipment by a merchant on his own account.
{A bill of adventure} (Com.), a writing setting forth that
   the goods shipped are at the owner's risk.
Syn: Undertaking; enterprise; venture; event.

\Ad*ven"ture\, 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.
         He would not adventure himself into the theater.
                                               --Acts xix.
                                               31.
2. To venture upon; to run the risk of; to dare.
         Yet they adventured to go back.       --Bunyan,
         Discriminations might be adventured.  --J. Taylor.

\Ad*ven"ture\, v. i.
To try the chance; to take the risk.
      I would adventure for such merchandise.  --Shak.