a. Also 7, 9 dial., venter-. [f. VENTURE sb. or v. + -SOME.]
1. Of persons: Disposed or ready to venture or take risks; bold, daring; = VENTUROUS a. 1.
1677. Gilpin, Demonol., I. xviii. 155. Even as courage whetted on and enraged, makes a Man ventersome beyond the due bounds of prudence, or safety.
1698. Hearne, Duct. Hist. (1714), I. 134. Does he not make his Hero more Rash than Wise, and more Venturesome than Ambitious?
1798. Edgeworth, Pract. Educ. (1811), II. 395. We should even in trifles avoid every circumstance which can tend to make girls venturesome.
1863. Kinglake, Crimea, I. 214. He was most venturesome in his schemes for action.
1886. C. E. Pascoe, Lond. of To-day, xxix. (ed. 3), 262. Some persons … are sufficiently venturesome to visit Billingsgate when at the high-tide of business.
2. Of the nature of, characterized by, or involving risk; hazardous, risky.
1661. in Phœnix (1721), I. 84. These two last Opinions of the Father, which seem the most bold and venturesome of all the rest.
1721. Strype, Eccl. Mem., I. lii. 391. It must ever redound unto the honour of his memory, that bold and venturesome act of his.
1755. Johnson, Hazardable, venturesome; liable to chance.
1849. Dana, Geol., ix. (1850), 451. From the sunny plain above, the streamlet made the venturesome descent.
1885. Public Opin., 9 Jan., 28/2. General Stewart has returned safely from his venturesome ride across the desert.
Hence Venturesomely adv., Venturesomeness.
1727. Bailey (vol. II.), *Venturesomly, daringly.
1882. Sat. Rev., LIV. 597. To a butterfly also, may we venturesomely compare this strange … tome of weird verse.
1883. Evang. Mag., Aug., 343. The rocks toasted almost enough to blister the hand that should venturesomely touch them.
1727. Bailey (vol. II.), Fool Hardiness, Rashness, Temerity, a Thoughtless *Venturesomness.
1740. Richardson, Pamela, I. 236. She seem’d full of Wonder at my Resolution and Venturesomeness.
1869. Routledge’s Ev. Boy’s Ann., 16. Did ever one hear of such venturesomeness?
1876. Geo. Eliot, Dan. Der., III. xxiv. A handsome girl, whose lively venturesomeness of talk has the effect of wit.
