Dictionary

entertain en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (California) audio
• /ˌɛntəˈteɪn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˌɛ̃ɾ̃ɚˈtʰeɪn] (Canada, General-American)
• /ˌentəˈtæɪn/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /ˌɛntɚˈteɪn/ (Canada, General-American)
• (New-Jersey) audio

Etymology

From Middle English entertenen, from Middle French entretenir, from Old French entretenir, from entre (“among”) + tenir (“to hold”), from Latin inter + teneō (“hold, keep”). For the noun, compare French entretien. Sense of answering a phone call in Malaysian English is influenced by Malay layan “to serve, to attend to or engage with something”.

Meanings

1. (obsolete, uncountable) Entertainment; pleasure.
   • And Celſo, prethee let it be thy care to night / To haue ſome pretty ſhew, to ſolemnize / Our high inſtalement, ſome muſike maſkerie: / Weele giue faire entertaine vnto Maria […] c. 1603 (date written), Iohn Marston, The Malcontent, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for William Aspley, […], published 1604, →OCLC, Act V, scene iii:
2. (obsolete, uncountable) Reception of a guest; welcome.
   • But neede, that answers not to all requests, / Bad them not looke for better entertayne […] 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

Forms

wikipedia: Malaysian English

entertain en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (California) audio
• /ˌɛntəˈteɪn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˌɛ̃ɾ̃ɚˈtʰeɪn] (Canada, General-American)
• /ˌentəˈtæɪn/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
• /ˌɛntɚˈteɪn/ (Canada, General-American)
• (New-Jersey) audio

Etymology

From Middle English entertenen, from Middle French entretenir, from Old French entretenir, from entre (“among”) + tenir (“to hold”), from Latin inter + teneō (“hold, keep”). For the noun, compare French entretien. Sense of answering a phone call in Malaysian English is influenced by Malay layan “to serve, to attend to or engage with something”.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To amuse (someone); to engage the attention of agreeably.
   • to entertain friends with lively conversation
   • The motivational speaker not only instructed but also entertained the audience.
2. (intransitive, transitive) To have someone over at one's home, or some other venue, for a party or visit.
   • They enjoy entertaining a lot.
   • Be not forgetful to entertain strangers[…] 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Hebrews 13:2:
   • About 200 guests were invited and entertained to lunch in the so-called booking hall at Waterloo; the contractors, Spiers & Pond Limited, were much praised for organising the repast, with attendant cloak room facilities, so well in such unfavourable surroundings. 1958 August 14, T. S. Lascelles, “Diamond Jubilee of the Waterloo & City Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 523:
3. (transitive) To receive and take into consideration; to have a thought in mind.
   • I am not here going to entertain so large a theme as the philosophy of Locke. 1851, Thomas De Quincey, Literary Reminiscences:
   • The committee would like to entertain the idea of reducing the budget figures.
   • A rumour gained ground, — and, however absurd, was entertained by some very sensible people. 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, →OCLC:
   • to entertain a proposal
4. (obsolete) To take or keep in one's service; to maintain; to support; to harbour; to keep.
   • You, sir, I entertain for one of my hundred. c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act XXVI, scene iii], page vi:
   • Intreat 'em fair, and give them friendly speech, And seem to them as if thy sins were great, Till thou hast gotten to be entertain'd. c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, →OCLC, Act I:
5. (obsolete) To meet or encounter, as an enemy.
   • O noble English, that could entertain with half their forces the full pride of France 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
   • Penalty for entertaining a Deserter 1860, British Parliament, Naval Discipline Act, page 1069:
6. (obsolete) To lead on; to bring along; to introduce.
   • to baptize all nations, and to entertain them into the services and institutions of the holy Jesus 1651–1653, Jer[emy] Taylor, ΕΝΙΑΥΤΟΣ [Eniautos]. A Course of Sermons for All the Sundays of the Year. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Richard Royston […], published 1655, →OCLC:
7. (India, Malaysia, Philippines, in business, sometimes) To help; to assist; to answer a phone call.

Forms

Deriveds

entertainer · entertaining · entertainment · entertainable · entertainability

Translations (101)

sh за̀бавити (to amuse) · eo regali (to amuse) · ru забавля́ть (to amuse) · la oblectō (to amuse) · nl in overweging nemen (to receive and take into consideration) · ca entretenir (to amuse) · ro distra (to amuse) · fi viihdyttää (to amuse) · ru позаба́вить (to amuse) · grc ἑστιάω (to have over at one's home) · mi whakapārekareka (to amuse) · hu eljátszik a gondolattal (to receive and take into consideration) · fr recevoir (to have over at one's home) · ga cuir siamsaíocht ar fáil do (to amuse) · pl zabawiać (to amuse) · am አስደሰተ (to amuse) · vi tiêu khiển (to amuse) · gl entreter (to amuse) · eo esplori (to receive and take into consideration) · da underholde (to amuse) · uk розважа́ти (to amuse) · ru развле́чь (to amuse) · hu megfontol (to receive and take into consideration) · ca distreure (to amuse) · et lõbustama (to amuse) · sga ar·peti (to amuse) · mk забавува (to amuse) · hi बहलाना (to amuse) · bg забавля́вам (to amuse) · gl divertir (to amuse) · pl brać pod uwagę (to receive and take into consideration) · da traktere (to have over at one's home) · pl wziąć pod uwagę (to receive and take into consideration) · sv roa (to amuse) · sk baviť (to amuse) · da lege med idéen om (to receive and take into consideration) · it divertire (to amuse) · nl vermaken (to amuse) · sl zabavati (to amuse) · kea animá (to amuse) · ca divertir (to amuse) · bg приемам гости (to have over at one's home) · kw didhana (to amuse) · ga déan siamsa do (to amuse) · cy diddori (to amuse) · pl gościć (to have over at one's home) · gl recibir (to have over at one's home) · kea anima (to amuse) · gl distraer (to amuse) · fr divertir (to amuse) · da fornøje (to amuse) · sh zàbavljati (to amuse) · nl te gast hebben (to have over at one's home) · hu fontolóra vesz (to receive and take into consideration) · pt entreter (to amuse) · nn underhalde (to amuse) · mi whakangahau (to amuse) · eo konsideri (to receive and take into consideration) · be забаўля́ць (to amuse) · mwl antretener (to amuse) · es bayear (to amuse) · hu szórakoztat (to amuse) · bg развлича́м (to amuse) · pt divertir (to amuse) · vi giải trí (to amuse) · hu foglalkozik a gondolattal (to receive and take into consideration) · pl bawić (to amuse) · uk ба́вити (to amuse) · nb underholde (to amuse) · az qonaq etmək (to have over at one's home) · uk забавля́ти (to amuse) · he בידר (to amuse) · eo amuzi (to amuse) · io amuzar (to amuse) · az əyləndirmək (to amuse) · da beværte (to have over at one's home) · pl bawić (to have over at one's home) · ru принима́ть госте́й (to have over at one's home) · he ארח (to have over at one's home) · sk zabávať (to amuse) · es entretener (to amuse) · nl amuseren (to amuse) · ru развлека́ть (to amuse) · da tage under overvejelse (to receive and take into consideration) · it intrattenere (to amuse) · mi whakamanuhiri (to have over at one's home) · be ба́віць (to amuse) · hu vendégül lát (to have over at one's home) · sh за̀бављати (to amuse) · sh zàbaviti (to amuse) · la remittor (to amuse) · mwl adbertir (to amuse) · cs bavit (to amuse) · sv underhålla (to amuse) · de unterhalten (to amuse) · es divertir (to amuse) · la oblecto (to have over at one's home) · eo pripensi (to receive and take into consideration) · sw tumbuiza (to amuse) · mi whakamanuwhiri (to have over at one's home) · nl (gasten thuis) ontvangen (to have over at one's home)

wikipedia: Malaysian English