endeavour
pronunciation
How to pronounce endeavour in British English:
UK [ɪnˈdevə(r)]
How to pronounce endeavour in American English:
US [ɪnˈdevər]
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- Noun:
- a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)
- earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
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- Verb:
- attempt by employing effort
Word Origin
- endeavour
- endeavour: [14] Despite its plausible appearance, endeavour is not a borrowing from French or Latin but a purely English creation. It was coined from the Middle English phrase put in dever, which was a partial translation of Old French mettre en deveir, literally ‘put in duty’, hence ‘make it one’s duty to do something’ (deveir, ancestor of modern French devoir ‘duty’, came ultimately from Latin dēbēre ‘owe’, source of English debit and debt). In the 14th century the last two words were joined together to form the verb endeavour ‘make an effort’.=> debit, debt
- endeavour
- chiefly British English spelling of endeavor (q.v.); for spelling, see -or. Related: Endeavoured; endeavoring; endeavours. The U.S. space shuttle was spelled this way because it was named for the HMS Endeavour, Capt. Cook's ship.
Example
- 1. This was a gigantic endeavour .
- 2. Becoming part of the global scientific endeavour is about more than national pride .
- 3. The successful travel list is likely to be a family rather than an individual endeavour .
- 4. This helps explain why , even at this moment of triumph , particle physics is a fragile endeavour .
- 5. These convergence speeds are the most important variables in the whole brics endeavour , and the hardest to pin down .