emprise

• emprize

From Old French emprise, emprinse, from Late Latin *imprensa, from Latin in- + prehendere (“to take”).

emprise (plural emprises)

1. (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.

2. (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.

emprise (third-person singular simple present emprises, present participle emprising, simple past and past participle emprised)

1. (obsolete) To undertake.

• empires, epimers, imprese, permies, premies, premise, spireme

• IPA^(key): /ɑ̃.pʁiz/

• Audio

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emprise f (plural emprises)

1. expropriation
2. domination, control, influence

• “emprise” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

emprise f (oblique plural emprises, nominative singular emprise, nominative plural emprises)

1. enterprise; undertaking; activity

• emprisier

• English: emprise (borrowed)
• French: emprise

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (emprise)