en⋅ter⋅tain
[en-ter-teyn] 
tərˈteɪn
| 1. | to hold the attention of pleasantly or agreeably; divert; amuse. |
| 2. | to have as a guest; provide food, lodging, etc., for; show hospitality to. |
| 3. | to admit into the mind; consider: He never entertained such ideas. |
| 4. | to hold in the mind; harbor; cherish: They secretly entertained thoughts of revenge. |
| 5. | Archaic. to maintain or keep up. |
| 6. | Obsolete. to give admittance or reception to; receive. |
| 7. | to exercise hospitality; entertain company; provide entertainment for guests: They loved to talk, dance, and entertain. |
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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| en·ter·tain (ěn'tər-tān') v. en·ter·tained, en·ter·tain·ing, en·ter·tains v. tr.
[Middle English entertinen, to maintain, from Old French entretenir, from Medieval Latin intertenēre : Latin inter, among; see inter- + Latin tenēre, to hold; see ten- in Indo-European roots.] en'ter·tain'er n. |
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Entertain
En`ter*tain"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Entertained; p. pr. & vb. n. Entertaining.] [F. entretenir; entre between (L. inter) + tenir to hold, L. tenere. See Tenable.]1. To be at the charges of; to take or keep in one's service; to maintain; to support; to harbor; to keep. You, sir, I entertain for one of my hundred. --Shak. 2. To give hospitable reception and maintenance to; to receive at one's board, or into one's house; to receive as a guest. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained unawares. --Heb. xiii. 2. 3. To engage the attention of agreeably; to amuse with that which makes the time pass pleasantly; to divert; as, to entertain friends with conversation, etc. The weary time she can not entertain. --Shak. 4. To give reception to; to receive, in general; to receive and take into consideration; to admit, treat, or make use of; as, to entertain a proposal. I am not here going to entertain so large a theme as the philosophy of Locke. --De Quincey. A rumor gained ground, -- and, however absurd, was entertained by some very sensible people. --Hawthorne. 5. To meet or encounter, as an enemy. [Obs.] --Shak. 6. To keep, hold, or maintain in the mind with favor; to keep in the mind; to harbor; to cherish; as, to entertain sentiments. 7. To lead on; to bring along; to introduce. [Obs.] To baptize all nations, and entertain them into the services institutions of the holy Jesus. --Jer. Taylor. Syn: To amuse; divert; maintain. See Amuse.Entertain
En`ter*tain"\, v. i. To receive, or provide entertainment for, guests; as, he entertains generously.Entertain
En`ter*tain"\, n. [Cf. F. entretien, fr. entretenir.] Entertainment. [Obs.] --Spenser.Cite This Source
entertain
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Entertain
Entertainments, "feasts," were sometimes connected with a public festival (Deut. 16:11, 14), and accompanied by offerings (1 Sam. 9:13), in token of alliances (Gen. 26:30); sometimes in connection with domestic or social events, as at the weaning of children (Gen. 21:8), at weddings (Gen. 29:22; John 2:1), on birth-days (Matt. 14:6), at the time of sheep-shearing (2 Sam. 13:23), and of vintage (Judg. 9:27), and at funerals (2 Sam. 3:35; Jer. 16:7). The guests were invited by servants (Prov. 9:3; Matt. 22:3), who assigned them their respective places (1 Sam. 9:22; Luke 14:8; Mark 12:39). Like portions were sent by the master to each guest (1 Sam. 1:4; 2 Sam. 6:19), except when special honour was intended, when the portion was increased (Gen. 43:34). The Israelites were forbidden to attend heathenish sacrificial entertainments (Ex. 34:15), because these were in honour of false gods, and because at such feast they would be liable to partake of unclean flesh (1 Cor. 10:28). In the entertainments common in apostolic times among the Gentiles were frequent "revellings," against which Christians were warned (Rom. 13:13; Gal. 5:21; 1 Pet. 4:3). (See BANQUET.)
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