Search the Dictionary

spirits or joy; cheering; cheery; contented; happy; joyful; lively; animated; willing. To entertain a cheerful disposition. Shak. The cheerful birds of sundry kind Do chant sweet music. Spenser. A cheerful confidence in the mercy of God. Macaulay. This general applause and cheerful shout. Shak.

A house of entertainment, where guests are supplied with coffee and other refreshments, and where men meet for conversation. The coffeehouse must not be dismissed with a cursory mention. It might indeed, at that time, have been not improperly called a most important political institution . . . The coffeehouses were the…

Act or process of administering comfort. [Obs.] The gentle comfortment and entertainment of the said embassador. Hakluyt.

Entertaining a flattering opinion of one's self; vain. If you think me too conceited Or to passion quickly heated. Swift. Conceited of their own wit, science, and politeness. Bentley.

A musical entertainment in which several voices or instruments take part. Visit by night your lady's chamber window With some sweet concert. Shak. And boding screech owls make the concert full. Shak. Concert pitch. See under Pitch.

mptious behavior. Hammond. Savage invectiveand contemptuous sarcasm. Macaulay. Rome . . . entertained the most contemptuous opinion of the Jews. Atterbury.

. There is a contrariety between those things that conscience inclines to, and those that entertain the senses. South.

Of or relating to a feast or entertainment, or to eating and drinking, with accompanying festivity; festive; social; gay; jovial. Which feasts convivial meetings we did name. Denham.

Entertaining discourse. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Anything so dreadful as to be like death. It was death to them to think of entertaining such doctrines. Atterbury. And urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death. Judg. xvi. 16.

Delightfully; as, to feed deliciously; to be deliciously entertained.

A service of pastry, fruits, or sweetmeats, at the close of a feast or entertainment; pastry, fruits, etc., forming the last course at dinner. "An 't please your honor," quoth the peasant, "This same dessert is not so pleasant." Pope. Dessert spoon, a spoon used in eating dessert; a spoon intermediate in size between a…

An entertainment; a feast. A grand political dinner. Tennyson.

ation, business, or study; to cause to have lively and agreeable sensations; to amuse; to entertain; as, children are diverted with sports; men are diverted with works of wit and humor. We are amused by a tale, diverted by a comedy. C. J. Smith.

Amusing; entertaining. -- Di*vert"ing*ly, adv. -- Di*vert"ing*ness, n.

To divert; to entertain. [Obs.] Dryden.

A short ballet, or other entertainment, between the acts of a play. Smart.

to fall, etc.; the process can be repeated an indefinite number of times. Derived from an entertainment using dominoes arranged in a row, each standing on edge and therefore easily knocked over; when the first is made to fall against the next, it starts a sequence which ends when all have fallen. For amusement, people…

A gift; a largess; a gratuity; a present. "The Romans were entertained with shows and donatives." Dryden.

An entertainment with liquors; a carousal.