Adventure (from
Latin res adventura, a thing about to
happen), chance, and especially chance of danger; so a hazardous
enterprise or remarkable incident. Thus an
adventurer[?],
from meaning one who takes part in some speculative course
of action, came to mean one who lived by his
wits[?] and a
person of no
character. The word is also used in certain
restricted legal connexions.
Joint adventure[?], for instance,
may be distinguished from
partnership. A
bill of adventure[?] in
maritime law[?] (now apparently obsolete)
is a writing signed by the
shipmaster[?] declaring that goods
shipped in his name really belong to another, to whom he is
responsible. The bill of gross adventure in
French maritime
law is an instrument making a loan on maritime security.
See also Colossal Cave Adventure, an old computer game.