Adventure recognizes several hundred words. Part of the fun is 
discovering what words the game recognizes and what happens when
you enter different commands. Nevertheless, if you're a first time 
adventurer, you might find it helpful to have a list to refer to.

Here are the verbs:

Abracadabra          Free          Run
Attack               Fum           Save
Blast                G (Get)       Say 
Blowup               Get           Score
Break                Goto          Sesame
Brief                Help          Shake
Calm                 Hit           Shatter
Capture              Hocus         Shazam
Carry                Hours         Sing
Catch                Info          Slay
Chant                Inform        Smash
Close                Inven         Steal
Continue             Inventory     Stop
Detonate             Keep          Strike
Devour               Kill          Swim
Dig                  Light         Swing
Disturb              Lock          T (Take)
Drink                Lost          Take
Drop                 Mist          Tame
Dump                 Mumble        Throw
Eat                  Off           Toss
Excavate             On            Tote
Explore              Open          Travel
Extinguish           Pause         Tree
Fee                  Placate       Trees
Feed                 Pocus         Turn
Fie                  Pour          Unlock
Fight                Proceed       Utter
Fill                 Q (Quit)      Wake
Find                 Quit          Walk
Foe                  Read          Wave
Follow               Release       
Foo                  Rub        

This list is only for the 350-point original Adventure. The expanded 
games recognize even more words.