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. [ 1913 Webster ]

You, sir, I entertain for one of my hundred. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To give hospitable reception and maintenance to; to receive at one's board, or into one's house; to receive as a guest. [ 1913 Webster ]

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained unawares. Heb. xiii. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

The weary time she can not entertain. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am not here going to entertain so large a theme as the philosophy of Locke. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

A rumor gained ground, -- and, however absurd, was entertained by some very sensible people. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To meet or encounter, as an enemy. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To keep, hold, or maintain in the mind with favor; to keep in the mind; to harbor; to cherish; as, to entertain sentiments. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To lead on; to bring along; to introduce. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

To baptize all nations, and entertain them into the services institutions of the holy Jesus. Jer. Taylor.

Syn. -- To amuse; divert; maintain. See Amuse. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To receive, or provide entertainment for, guests; as, he entertains generously. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. entretien, fr. entretenir. ] Entertainment. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. p. p. of entertain.
Syn. -- amused, diverted. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. One who entertains; a host. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. one who amuses people, such as a singer, dancer, comedian, magician, etc., especially one who does so as a profession. [ PJC ]

a. Affording entertainment; pleasing; amusing; diverting. -- En`ter*tain"ing*ly, adv. -- En`ter*tain"ing*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. entretenement. ] 1. The act of receiving as host, or of amusing, admitting, or cherishing; hospitable reception; also, reception or treatment, in general. [ 1913 Webster ]

The entertainment of Christ by faith. Baxter. [ 1913 Webster ]

The sincere entertainment and practice of the precepts of the gospel. Bp. Sprat. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which entertains, or with which one is entertained; as: (a) Hospitality; hospitable provision for the wants of a guest; especially, provision for the table; a hospitable repast; a feast; a formal or elegant meal. (b) That which engages the attention agreeably, amuses or diverts, whether in private, as by conversation, etc., or in public, by performances of some kind; amusement. [ 1913 Webster ]

Theatrical entertainments conducted with greater elegance and refinement. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Admission into service; service. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some band of strangers in the adversary's entertainment. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Payment of soldiers or servants; wages. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The entertainment of the general upon his first arrival was but six shillings and eight pence. Sir J. Davies.

Syn. -- Amusement; diversion; recreation; pastime; sport; feast; banquet; repast; carousal. [ 1913 Webster ]

See accommodating.
See aching.
See ailing.
See aiming.
See alarming.
See altering.
See appreciating.
See approving.
See aspiring.
See assisting.
See attempting.
See attending.
See bearing.
See befitting.
See beginning.
See believing.
See bleaching.
See bleeding.
See blemishing.
See blenching.
See blossoming.
See blushing.
See boding.
See branching.
See breathing.
See burning.
See calculating.
See ceasing.
See changing.
See charming.
See communicating.
See complaining.
See complying.
See conceiving.
See conducing.
See confessing.
See conniving.
See consenting.
See considering.
See conspiring.
See consulting.
See consuming.
See contending.
See contriving.
See conversing.
See convincing.
See dawning.
See decaying.
See delaying.
See depending.
See derogating.
See deserving.
See desiring.
See despairing.
See detesting.
See deviating.
See differencing.
See discerning.
See discording.
See discriminating.
See disobliging.
See dispensing.
See dissembling.
See dissolving.
See distinguishing.
See distracting.
See disturbing.
See doubting.
See dreading.
See drooping.
See ebbing.
See echoing.
See edifying.
See ending.
See enduring.
See engaging.
See enjoying.
See entering.
See enterprising.
See entertaining.
See envying.
See existing.
See fadging.
See fading.
See fainting.
See faltering.
See fearing.
See feigning.
See fighting.
See fitting.
See flagging.
See flattering.
See flinching.
See folding.
See forbearing.
See foreboding.
See foreseeing.
See forgiving.
See giving.
See grudging.
See harming.
See heeding.
See hesitating.
See hoping.
See hurting.
See importing.
See imposing.
See improving.
See interesting.
See intermitting.
See intoxicating.
See inviting.
See jarring.
See laboring.
See lingering.
See listening.
See loving.
See meddling.
See meriting.
See mistrusting.
See moving.
See murmuring.
See obliging.
See observing.
See offending.
See opening.
See pardoning.
See paying.
See perceiving.
See performing.
See perishing.
See pitying.
See pleasing.
See possessing.
See preaching.
See prepossessing.
See presuming.
See pretending.
See prevailing.
See prevaricating.
See profiting.
See promising.
See proving.
See quailing.
See questioning.
See reasoning.
See recalling.
See reclining.
See recurring.
See referring.
See reflecting.
See refunding.
See refusing.
See rejoicing.
See relaxing.
See relishing.
See remembering.
See repenting.
See repining.
See reproving.
See repulsing.
See resisting.
See resolving.
See resting.
See returning.
See rewarding.
See sanctifying.
See satisfying.
See searching.
See seeing.
See setting.
See shrinking.
See sinking.
See sleeping.
See slipping.
See slumbering.
See speaking.
See stinting.
See stirring.
See stooping.
See submitting.
See sufficing.
See suiting.
See surging.
See suspecting.
See sweating.
See swerving.
See sympathizing.
See tasting.
See thriving.
See tiring.
See toiling.
See trading.
See trembling.
See trespassing.
See trifling.
See vacillating.
See varying.
See walking.
See wandering.
See waning.
See wasting.
See wavering.
See weeping.
See winking.
See winning.
See withdrawing.
See withering.
See wondering.
See working.
See writing.
See yielding.
----- and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The above classes of words are unlimited in extent, and such compounds may be formed by any writer or speaker at will from almost all the adjectives or participles in the language, excepting those which have a recognized and usual negative correspondent with the prefix -in. No attempt will be made, therefore, to define them all in this Dictionary; many will be omitted from its Vocabulary which are negations of the simple word, and are readily explained by prefixing a not to the latter. Derivatives of these words in -ly and -ness will also, for the most part, be omitted for the same or similar reasons. [ 1913 Webster ]

There will be inserted as separate articles with definitions, the following: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Those which have acquired an opposed or contrary, instead of a merely negative, meaning; as, unfriendly, ungraceful, unpalatable, unquiet, and the like; or else an intensive sense more than a prefixed not would express; as, unending, unparalleled, undisciplined, undoubted, unsafe, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Those which have the value of independent words, inasmuch as the simple words are either not used at all, or are rarely, or at least much less frequently, used; as, unavoidable, unconscionable, undeniable, unspeakable, unprecedented, unruly, and the like; or inasmuch as they are used in a different sense from the usual meaning of the primitive, or especially in one of the significations of the latter; as, unaccountable, unalloyed, unbelieving, unpretending, unreserved, and the like; or inasmuch as they are so frequently and familiarly used that they are hardly felt to be of negative origin; as, uncertain, uneven, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Those which are anomalous, provincial, or, for some other reason, not desirable to be used, and are so indicated; as, unpure for impure, unsatisfaction for dissatisfaction, unexpressible for inexpressible, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

II. Un- is prefixed to nouns to express the absence of, or the contrary of, that which the noun signifies; as, unbelief, unfaith, unhealth, unrest, untruth, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Compounds of this last class are given in full in their proper order in the Vocabulary. [ 1913 Webster ]