Venery Earliest Documented Venus Franklin Hunting Ven Uh Ree Noun

venery /VEN-uh-ree/

noun

1. The practice or pursuit of sexual pleasure.

2. Hunting.

[For 1: From Latin veneria, from venus (desire, love). Venus was the goddess of love and beauty in Roman mythology who gave her name to the planet Venus. Earliest documented use: 1497.

For 2: From Old French venerie, from vener (to hunt). Earliest documented use: 1330. In olden times one was supposed to know the terms of venery.

Ultimately both senses are from the Indo-European root wen- (to desire or to strive for), which is also the source of wish, win, overweening, venerate, venison, banyan, wonted, venial, and ween. Earliest documented use: 1330.]

“Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.” - Benjamin Franklin; The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin; J. Parsons; 1793.

“In those days true dedication to venery meant having your own hunting pack.” - Philip Bowern; Hunting the Hills of Devon; The Western Morning News (Plymouth, UK); Dec 17, 2012.