en ‧ ter ‧ tain /ˌentəˈteɪn $ -tər-/ BrE AmE verb
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ entertainer , ↑ entertainment , ↑ entertaining ; verb : ↑ entertain ; adverb : entertainingly; adjective : ↑ entertaining ]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: entretenir 'to hold together, support' , from tenir 'to hold' ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to amuse or interest people in a way that gives them pleasure
entertain somebody with something
She entertained the children with stories, songs and drama.
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.
Do you get an allowance for entertaining clients?
3 . entertain an idea/hope/thought etc formal 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.