Old English endevor; prefix en- + dever, devoir, duty, French devoir: cf. French se mettre en devoir de faire quelque chose to try to do a thing, to go about it. See Devoir, Debt.
[Written also endeavour.]
To exert physical or intellectual strength for the attainment of; to use efforts to effect; to strive to achieve or reach; to try; to attempt.
It is our duty to endeavor the recovery of these beneficial subjects.
— Ld. Chatham.
To endeavor one's self
[Obsolete] to exert one's self strenuously to the fulfillment of a duty.
“A just man that endeavoreth himself to leave all wickedness.” Latimer.
En*deav"or
verb intransitive
To exert one's self; to work for a certain end.
And such were praised who but endeavored well.
— Pope.
Usually with an infinitive; as, to endeavor to outstrip an antagonist.