Noah Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language

1. (n.) The act of following or going after; esp., a following with haste, either for sport or in hostility; chase; prosecution; as, the pursuit of game; the pursuit of an enemy.

2. (n.) A following with a view to reach, accomplish, or obtain; endeavor to attain to or gain; as, the pursuit of knowledge; the pursuit of happiness or pleasure.

3. (v. t.) Course of business or occupation; continued employment with a view to same end; as, mercantile pursuits; a literary pursuit.

4. (v. t.) Prosecution.