endeavor
nounverbattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ɪnˈdɛv.ə//
- United States//ɛnˈdɛv.ɚ//
- United States//ɪnˈdɛv.ɚ//
A sincere attempt; a determined or assiduous effort towards a specific goal; assiduous or persistent activity.
noun
- 1
A sincere attempt; a determined or assiduous effort towards a specific goal; assiduous or persistent activity.
Etymology
The verb is from Middle English endeveren (“to make an effort”); the noun is from Middle English endevour, from the verb. Endeveren is from (putten) in dever (“(to put oneself) in duty”), from in + dever (“duty”), partially translating Middle French (se mettre) en devoir (de faire) (“(to make it) one's duty (to do), to endeavour (to do)”) (from Old French devoir, deveir (“duty”)).
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo exert oneself.
- 2
To attempt through application of effort (to do something); to try strenuously.
- 3
obsoleteTo attempt (something).
- 4
To work with purpose.
He draws eclectically on studies of baboons, descriptive anthropological accounts of hunter-gatherer societies and, in a few cases, the fossil record. With this biological framework in place, Corning endeavors to show that the capitalist system as currently practiced in the United States and elsewhere is manifestly unfair.
Forms
- plural
- endeavors
- past tense
- endeavored
- past participle
- endeavored
- present participle
- endeavoring
- third person singular
- endeavors
endeavor · A sincere attempt; a determined or assiduous effort towards a specific goal; assiduous or persistent activity.
ended · Having (a specified kind or number of) ends.ending · A termination or conclusion.endless · Having no end.