I. en ‧ trance 1 S3 W3 /ˈentrəns/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ entrance , ↑ entrant , ↑ entry ; verb : ↑ enter ]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: entrer ; ⇨ ↑ enter ]
1 . [countable] a door, gate etc that you go through to enter a place OPP exit
entrance to/of
the main entrance to the school
front/back/side entrance
the station entrance
entrance hall/foyer/gate etc
2 . [countable usually singular] the act of entering a place or room, especially in a way that people notice:
Bridget made a dramatic entrance into the room.
3 . [uncountable] the right or ability to go into a place
entrance to
Entrance to the museum is free.
Reporters even managed to gain entrance to her hotel.
How much is the entrance fee (=money you pay to get in somewhere) ?
4 . [uncountable] permission to become a member of or become involved in a profession, university, society etc:
the initial interview for entrance to the Civil Service
entrance examinations
5 . [countable] when a person, country, organization etc first becomes involved in a particular area of activity
entrance into
The referendum blocked Switzerland’s entrance into the European Economic Area.
6 . make your/an entrance to come onto the stage in a play
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + entrance
▪ the main entrance
She found a parking space close to the hospital's main entrance.
▪ the front/back/rear/side entrance
There is a long drive with steps leading to the front entrance.
▪ a narrow entrance
I could see part of the yard through the narrow entrance.
▪ a wide entrance
There was a wide entrance at the front of the building.
▪ the hotel/hospital/museum etc entrance
Our taxi pulled up outside the hotel entrance.
▪ the harbour entrance British English , the harbor entrance American English
We watched as the ferry approached the harbour entrance.
▪ the tunnel entrance
At high tide, the tunnel entrance is totally submerged.
■ verbs
▪ come/go/pass etc through an entrance
People passed in single file through the narrow entrance.
▪ use an entrance
It's quicker to use the side entrance.
▪ block an entrance
A large stone blocked the entrance to the tomb.
■ entrance + NOUN
▪ an entrance hall (=a room at the entrance to a building)
He walked through the front door into the entrance hall.
▪ an entrance lobby/foyer (=an area at the entrance to a large building)
There was no sign of her in the entrance foyer.
▪ an entrance gate/door
Soldiers were guarding the entrance gate.
II. en ‧ trance 2 /ɪnˈtrɑːns $ -ˈtræns/ BrE AmE verb [transitive usually passive] literary
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: trance ]
if someone or something entrances you, they make you give them all your attention because they are so beautiful, interesting etc:
I was entranced by the sweetness of her voice.
—entranced adjective [not before noun] :
She stopped, entranced.
—entrancing adjective :
entrancing stories