Here - Norm's Book Club

VENTURE. 113 VENTURE.
1584-7 Greene Carde 0/ Fancie Wks. (Grosart) IV. 145
Your venter was much, but your gaines such, as. .you are
like to Hue by the losse. 1596 Shaks. Merch. V. in. iL 270
Hath all his ventures faild, what not one hit? 1605 B.
JoNSoN Volporui. ii, If you died today, And gaue him all, ..
What large returne would come of ali his venters. 1610 —
Alck. n. ii, But I buy it. My venter brings it me. 1660
Pepvs Diary 3 Oct., I heard the Duke speak of a great
design that he and my Lord of Pembroke have.. of sending
a venture to some parts of Africa, to dig for gold ore there.
1810 Crabbe Borough xvii. 219 Of both lie keeps his
ledger :— there he reads Of gainful ventures and of godly
deed'i. 1867 Smiles Huguenots Eng. t. 5 [He] agreed
to join them in their venture, and supply them with the
necessary means. 1884 Lazv Rep. 29 Chanc. Div. 465 Inducing
other people to spend their nfoney..on such a
venture as a limited company.
b. That which is ventured or risked in a commercial
enterprise or speculation.
1597 Shaks. 2 Hen. IV, 11. iv. 69 There's a whole
Merchants venture of Burdeux-Stuffe in him. 1598 B.
JoNso?* Ev. Man out of Hum . 11. iii. He may pricke his
foot with a thorne, and be as much as the whole venter is
worth, a 1764 R. Llovd TewpU Foiik Poet. Wks. 1774 K.
135 The consequence has vEsop told. He lost his venture,
sheep and gold. 1771 Mme. D'.Arbi-av Early Diary 3 June,
As to merchandise, the few ventures he took out with him,
he has brought back unchanged. 1814 Canning in Croker
/'a/^rj (1884) 1. 57 It is the ship A'/«^w«V/,. .destined for
the East Indies.. .She is a venture of 40,000/. 1841 Stephem
Comnt. Laws En^. {1874) II. 565 'I'he importer is now
enabled to bring his goods into this country, without being
obliged to pay the duties until he finds for bis venture
either a foreign or a home purchaser.
t 5, Chance or risic of something [Sc.^ ; also
eilipt.jc)\AX\CQ ofbeingefficaciousor beneficial. Obs.
1613 Lodge Foore Mttns Talent Wks. (Hunt. CI.) IV. 16
Dropp..two or three dropps into your eies. If you could
get the liuer of a buck and mix it with these, it would bee
the better, and the water would haue greater venture. 1637
Rutherford Lett. 1 1862) I. Ixxviii. 200 Your Lordship hath
now a blessed venfure of winning court with the Prince of
the Kings of the earth. 1671 M. Bruce GH. News in Evil
Times Pref. (1708) A 2, That it is better for yo^ to come and
take your venture of suffering nor bide away.
6. The (or an) act of venturing upon something
an attempt at some action ; also, the means or
result of so venturing.
184X LovKR Hand^ Andy Preface 6 .\ few short papers,
under the title of this little venture, appeared at intervals in
IJentley's Miscellany. 1849 Ruskin Sex>. Lamps iv. § 3. 96
There are many forms of so called decoration in architecture,
habitual, and recei%-ed, . . without any venture at expression
of dislike. 1883 Meredith AurM ^/iaw i, On her great'
(Jventure,
Man, Earth gazes.
7. = Adventure sb. 8. rare.
1844 KiNGLAKR Eothen vi, Navigating the seas of their
fjrefathers with the same heroic, .spirit of venture. 187a
Blackik Lays lUghl. 26 Who. .fled from pomp of Courts.,
to win lost souls, .with loving venture.
Ventobeb 3. Obsr~^
II. t 8. A prostitute ; =
z6ii Shaks. Cymb. 1. vi. 123 Diseas'd ventures That play
with all Infirmities for Gold, Which rottcnnesse can lend
Nature.
1 9. One who or that which ventures out. Ohs~^
170a in Pennsylv. Hist. Soc. Mem. IX. 123 The cruisers.,
may pick up alt ventures out without hazard.
10. Venture-girl^ -miss^ a girl or woman who
goes to India in order to get a husband.
1815 r. Hook Sayings Ser. 11. Passion