Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Emprise
Em-prise′
,Noun.
[OF.
emprise
, fr. emprendre
to undertake; pref. em-
(L. in
) + F. prendre
to take, L. prehendere
, prendere
; prae
before + a verb akin to E. get
. See Get
, and cf. Enterprise
, Impresa
.] [Archaic]
1.
An enterprise; endeavor; adventure.
Chaucer.
In brave pursuit of chivalrous
emprise
. Spenser.
The deeds of love and high
emprise
. Longfellow.
2.
The qualifies which prompt one to undertake difficult and dangerous exploits.
I love thy courage yet and bolt
But here thy sword can do thee little stead.
emprise
;But here thy sword can do thee little stead.
Milton.
Em-prise′
,Verb.
T.
To undertake.
[Obs.]
Sackville.
Webster 1828 Edition
Emprise
EMPRI'SE
,Noun.
[This word is now rarely or never used, except in poetry.]
Definition 2024
emprise
emprise
English
Alternative forms
Noun
emprise (plural emprises)
- (archaic) An enterprise or endeavor, especially a quest or adventure.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, I.ix:
- noble minds of yore allyed were, / In braue poursuit of cheualrous emprize, / That none did others safety despize […]
- Longfellow
- the deeds of love and high emprise
- 1900, William Archer, America To-Day, Observations & Reflections, page 181:
- Nothing short of an imperative sense of duty could tempt me to set forth on that most perilous emprise, a discussion of the American language.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, I.ix:
- (archaic) The qualities which prompt one to undertake difficult and dangerous exploits; chivalric prowess.
- Milton
- I love thy courage yet, and bold emprise; / But here thy sword can do thee little stead.
- Milton
Verb
emprise (third-person singular simple present emprises, present participle emprising, simple past and past participle emprised)
- (obsolete) To undertake.
Anagrams
Old French
Noun
emprise f (oblique plural emprises, nominative singular emprise, nominative plural emprises)
Derived terms
- emprisier
Descendants
References
- (fr) Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881) (emprise)