endeavor. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

endeavor

SYLLABICATION:	en·deav·or
PRONUNCIATION:	n-dvr
NOUN:	1. A conscientious or concerted effort toward an end; an earnest attempt. 2. Purposeful or industrious activity; enterprise.
VERB:	Inflected forms: en·deav·ored, en·deav·or·ing, en·deav·ors
TRANSITIVE VERB:	To attempt (fulfillment of a responsibility or an obligation, for example) by employment or expenditure of effort: endeavored to improve the quality of life in the inner city.
INTRANSITIVE VERB:	To work with a set or specified goal or purpose.
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English endevour, from endeveren, to make an effort, from (putten) in dever, (to put oneself) in duty, make it one's duty : in, in; see in¹ + dever, duty (from Old French deveir, devoir, duty; see devoir).
OTHER FORMS:	en·deavor·er —NOUN


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.