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The act of one who undertakes, or engages in, any project or business. Hakluyt.

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.

risk; exposing to danger; requiring courage; rash; -- applied to acts; as, an adventurous undertaking, deed, song.

To adjust or settle; to prepare; to determine; as, to arrange the preliminaries of an undertaking.

To give support to in some undertaking or effort, or in time of distress; to help; to aid; to succor. Assist me, knight. I am undone! Shak.

A promise or undertaking, founded on a consideration. This promise may be oral or in writing not under seal. It may be express or implied.

A essay, trial, or endeavor; an undertaking; an attack, or an effort to gain a point; esp. an unsuccessful, as contrasted with a successful, effort. By his blindness maimed for high attempts. Milton. Attempt to commit a crime (Law), such an intentional preparatory act as will apparently result, if not extrinsically hin…

e derived from the Roman practice of taking the auspicium, or inspection of birds, before undertaking any important business. They auspicate all their proceedings. Burke.

A divining or taking of omens by observing birds; an omen as to an undertaking, drawn from birds; an augury; an omen or sign in general; an indication as to the future.

In withdrawal from a statement, promise, or undertaking; as, he took back0 the offensive words.

To set free, or deliver from arrest, or out of custody, on the undertaking of some other person or persons that he or they will be responsible for the appearance, at a certain day and place, of the person bailed.

e cards in one's own hands, to have the winning cards; to have the means of success in an undertaking. -- To play one's cards well, to make no errors; to act shrewdly. -- To play snow one's cards, to expose one's plants to rivals or foes. -- To speak by the card, to speak from information and definitely, not by gues…

action or conduct in life, or in a particular part or calling in life, or in some special undertaking; usually applied to course or conduct which is of a pubic character; as, Washington's career as a soldier. An impartial view of his whole career. Macaulay.

ttempt above its power, either is disabled for the future, or else checks at any vigorous undertaking ever after. Locke.

t or process of making complete; the getting through to the end; as, the completion of an undertaking, an education, a service. The completion of some repairs. Prescott.

Dependent on that which is undetermined or unknown; as, the success of his undertaking is contingent upon events which he can not control. "Uncertain and contingent causes." Tillotson.

the state of being copartners in any undertaking. [R.]

An undertaking, on sufficient consideration, in writing and under seal, to do or to refrain from some act or thing; a contract; a stipulation; also, the document or writing containing the terms of agreement.

The ultimate end and result of an undertaking; a chief end. [Obs.] O this false soul of Egypt! this grave charm . . . . Whose bosom was my crownet, my chief end. Shak.

or the purpose of paying taxes, duties, etc. To declare off, to recede from an agreement, undertaking, contract, etc.; to renounce. -- To declare one's self, to avow one's opinion; to show openly what one thinks, or which side he espouses.