entertain
Definitions
To amuse or interest people
娱乐；使快乐
To receive and look after guests
招待；款待
To consider or be willing to think about an idea
考虑；抱有（想法）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedinter- (between, among) + tain (hold) = to 'hold between,' originally to keep someone in a certain state of mind. From holding people's attention came 'amuse'; from holding guests came 'host'; from holding an idea in mind came 'entertain a thought.' The enter- spelling is just inter- worn down through French.
Root tain still carries 87 more wordsWhy It Means This
Entertain literally means 'to hold between/among' (inter- + tenēre). The thread running through all its senses is keeping something held: you hold an audience's attention (amuse), you hold guests in your home (host), and you hold an idea in your mind long enough to consider it (entertain a possibility). The hosting sense is why a lavish party is called 'entertaining.'
Common Collocations
- 1.entertain guests招待客人
- 2.entertain an audience娱乐观众
- 3.entertain the idea考虑这个想法
- 4.entertain a thought抱有某念头
Example Sentences
- 1.
The clown entertained the children for an hour.
- 2.
They love to entertain friends at weekends.
- 3.
She refused to entertain the idea of giving up.