undertaking-n; 4 Senses

Sense Number 1: A project

Commentary: UNDERTAKING[+event][+activity][+ongoing][+project] Refers to the project or ongoing effort.

Examples:
The construction of the the Hoover Dam was a massive undertaking for the U.S. government.
Designing these protocols shouldn't be a huge undertaking.
It was a massive military undertaking involving 100,000 troops.

Mappings:
PropBank: undertaking.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1

Sense Number 2: Funeral direction

Commentary: UNDERTAKING[+activity][+ongoing][+livelihood][+management][+funeral] The trade of a funeral director; what an undertaker does every day.

Examples:
Bob's father does undertaking for a living.
Sally found several funeral parlors in the phone book under the heading of 'undertaking'.

Mappings:
PropBank: NM
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1

Sense Number 3: a formal pledge, a speech act

Commentary: UNDERTAKING[+action][+speech_act][+pledge][+formal]

Examples:
He gave an undertaking that they would proceed with the legislation.

Mappings:
PropBank: NM
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: 1

Sense Number 4: initiation of an effort or commitment to something

Commentary: UNDERTAKING[+action][+punctual][+initiation][+commitment]
NOTE: nominalization of the form 'undertaking of X', refers to the commencement of a project, not the project itself over its duration (see Sense 1)

Examples:
The court concluded that Pete had engaged in a knowing undertaking of the obligation.
The surgeons were hesitant in their undertaking of the new surgical procedure on the child.

Mappings:
PropBank: undertaking.01
WordNet 0.0 Sense Numbers: 1b