 |
| Date: | 1400-1500 |
| Language: | Old French |
| Origin: | entretenir 'to hold together, support', from tenir 'to hold' |
| |||||||||
en‧ter‧tain
1 [intransitive and transitive] to amuse or interest people in a way that gives them pleasure A museum should aim to entertain as well as educate.
A museum should aim to entertain as well as educate.2 [intransitive and transitive] to invite people to your home for a meal, party etc, or to take your company's customers somewhere to have a meal, drinks etc : Mark usually does the cooking when we entertain.
Mark usually does the cooking when we entertain.3 to consider an idea etc, or allow yourself to think that something might happen or be true : She could never entertain the idea of living in the country.
entertain an idea/hope/thought etc
formalShe could never entertain the idea of living in the country.