undertaking

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A task or assignment undertaken; a venture.
2. n. A guaranty, engagement, or promise.
3. n. The profession or duties of a funeral director.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The act of one who undertakes or engages to do any business, office, or duty.
2. n. That which is undertaken; a business, work, or project which a person engages in or attempts to perform; an enterprise.
3. n. The business of an undertaker, or manager of funerals. A promise; an engagement; an obligation; a guaranty; specifically, in American law, a formal obligation entered into by or on behalf of a party to litigation, and usually with sureties, for the payment of money or performance of some act if it should be adjudged due or otherwise become required, such an obligation being usually required as a condition of taking some step in the action, as, for instance, appealing or issuing an order of arrest or attachment.
4. Enterprising.

Wiktionary

1. n. Specifically, the business of an undertaker, or the management of funerals.
2. n. A promise or pledge; a guarantee.
3. n. That which is undertaken; any business, work, or project which a person engages in, or attempts to perform; an enterprise.
4. n. The act of one who undertakes, or engages in, any project or business.
5. v. present participle of undertake.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The act of one who undertakes, or engages in, any project or business.
2. n. That which is undertaken; any business, work, or project which a person engages in, or attempts to perform; an enterprise.
3. n. Specifically, the business of an undertaker, or the management of funerals.
4. n. A promise or pledge; a guarantee.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
2. n. the trade of a funeral director