Obs. [app. ad. It. buonaventura good luck; in quot. 1592 the name of a ship; of the generic use no explanation appears.]
1. A kind of boat or ship.
1592. Breton, Pilgr. Paradise, Wks. 1875–9, I. 15. The pilgrime must imbarke, Within a shippe the Buonaventure named.
1614. Way to Wealth, in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), III. 235. Busses, bonadventures, or fisher-ships.
2. ‘The old outer mizen, long disused,’ Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk.
c. 1500. Cocke Lorelles B. (1843), 12. Some pulled up the bonauenture, Some to howes the tope sayle dyde entre.
1626. Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Seamen (Arb.), 13.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., s.v. Missen-Mast, Some great Ships require two [missens]; then that next the Main-mast is the Main-missen; and that next the Poop, the Bonaventure-missen.
3. ? An adventurer; cf. BONEVENTOR.
1598. Chapman, Blinde Begg., Plays, 1873, I. 14. Oh sir, you are but bonaventure, not right spanish I perceave.
