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entertain - 7 dictionary results

en⋅ter⋅tain

[en-ter-teyn]
–verb (used with object)
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.
–verb (used without object)
7. to exercise hospitality; entertain company; provide entertainment for guests: They loved to talk, dance, and entertain.

Origin:
1425–75; late ME entertenen to hold mutually < MF entretenir ≪ VL *intertenēre, equiv. to L inter- inter- + tenēre to hold


1. beguile, regale. See amuse.


1. bore. 3. reject.
en·ter·tain   (ěn'tər-tān')   
v.   en·ter·tained, en·ter·tain·ing, en·ter·tains

v.   tr.
  1. To hold the attention of with something amusing or diverting. See Synonyms at amuse.
  2. To extend hospitality toward: entertain friends at dinner.
    1. To consider; contemplate: entertain an idea.
    2. To hold in mind; harbor: entertained few illusions.
  3. Archaic To continue with; maintain.
  4. Obsolete To employ; hire.
  5. To give admittance to; receive.
v.   intr.
  1. To show hospitality to guests.
  2. To provide entertainment.

[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.

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.
Language Translation for : entertain
Spanish: recibir,
German: empfangen,
Japanese: もてなす

entertain 
1475, "to keep up, maintain," from M.Fr. entretenir, from O.Fr. entretenir "hold together, support," from entre- "among" (from L. inter) + tenir "to hold" (from L. tenere; see tenet). Sense of "have a guest" is 1490; that of "amuse" is 1626. Entertainer "public performer" is from c.1535.

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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