Emily Dickinson Lexicon

EN'TER-PRIS-ING, ppr.

1. Undertaking, especially a bold design.
2. adj. Bold or forward to undertake; resolute, active, or prompt to attempt great or untried schemes. Enterprising men often succeed beyond all human probability.

EN-TER-PRIS'ING-LY, adv.

In a bold, resolute, and active manner.

EN-TER-TAIN', n.

Entertainment. [Not in use.] Spenser.

EN-TER-TAIN', v.t. [Fr. entretenir; entre, in or between, and tenir, to hold, L. teneo.]

1. To receive into the house, and treat with hospitality, either at the table only, or with lodging also. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Heb. xiii.
2. To treat with conversation; to amuse or instruct by discourse; properly, to engage the attention and retain the company of one, by agreeable conversation, discourse or argument. The advocate entertained his audience an hour, with sound argument and brilliant displays of eloquence.
3. To keep in one's service; to maintain; as, he entertained ten domestics. You, sir, I entertain for one of my hundred. Shak. [This original and French sense is obsolete or little used.]
4. To keep, hold or maintain in the mind with favor; to reserve in the mind; to harbor; to cherish. Let us entertain the most exalted views of the Divine character. It is our duty to entertain charitable sentiments toward our fellow men.
5. To maintain; to support; as, to entertain a hospital. [Obs.]
6. To please; to amuse; to divert. David entertained himself with the meditation of God's law. Idle men entertain themselves with trifles.
7. To treat; to supply with provisions and liquors, or with provisions and lodging, for reward. The innkeeper entertains a great deal of company.

EN-TER-TAIN'ED, pp.

Received with hospitality, as a guest; amused; pleased and engaged; kept in the mind; retained.

EN-TER-TAIN'ER, n.

1. He who entertains; he who receives company with hospitality, or for reward.
2. He who retains others in his service.
3. He that amuses, pleases or diverts.

EN-TER-TAIN'ING, ppr.

1. Receiving with hospitality; receiving and treating with provisions and accommodations, for reward; keeping or cherishing with favor; engaging the attention; amusing.
2. adj. Pleasing; amusing; diverting; as, an entertaining discourse; an entertaining friend.

EN-TER-TAIN'ING-LY, adv.

In an amusing manner. Warton.

EN-TER-TAIN'ING-NESS, n.

The quality of entertaining. [Coleridge. 1841]

EN-TER-TAIN'MENT, n.

1. The receiving and accommodating of guests, either with or without reward. The hospitable man delights in the entertainment of his friends.
2. Provisions of the table; hence also, a feast; a superb dinner or supper.
3. The amusement, pleasure or instruction, derived from conversation, discourse, argument, oratory, music, dramatic performances, &c; the pleasure which the mind receives from any thing interesting, and which holds or arrests the attention. We often have rich entertainment, in the conversation of a learned friend.
4. Reception; admission. Tillotson.
5. The state of being in pay or service. [Not used.] Shak.
6. Payment of those retained in service. [Obs.] Davies.
7. That which entertains; that which serves for amusement; the lower comedy; farce. Gay.

EN-TER-TIS'SUED, a. [Fr. entre and tissu.]

Interwoven; having various colors intermixed. Shak.

EN-THE'AL, a. [Gr. εν and θεος.]

Divinely inspired.

EN-THE-AS'TIC, a. [Gr. εν and θεος, God.]

Having the energy of God.

EN-THE-AS'TIC-AL-LY, adv.

According to deific energy. Trans. of Pausanias.

EN'THEAT, a. [Gr. ενθεος.]

Enthusiastic. [Not in use.]

EN-THRALL', v.t.

To enslave. [See Inthrall.]

EN-THRILL', v.t.

To pierce. [See Thrill.]

EN-THRONE', v.t. [from throne.]

1. To place on a throne; to exalt to the seat of royalty. Beneath a sculptured arch he sits enthroned. Pope.
2. To exalt to an elevated place or seat. Shak.
3. To invest with sovereign authority. Ayliffe.
4. To induct or install a bishop into the powers and privileges of a vacant see.

EN-THRON'ED, pp.

Seated on a throne; exalted to an elevated place.

EN-THRONE'MENT, n.

Act of enthroning.

EN-THRON'ING, ppr.

Seating on a throne; raising to an exalted seat.

EN-THRON-IZE, v.t.

To enthrone. [Not used and improper.]

EN-THUN'DER, v.i.

To make a load noise like thunder.

EN-THU'SI-ASM, n. [enthu'ziazm; Gr. ενθουσιασμος, from ενθουσιαζω, to infuse a divine spirit, from ενθους, ενθεος, inspired, divine; εν and θεος, God.]

1. A belief or conceit of private revelation; the vain confidence or opinion of a person, that he has special divine communications from the Supreme Being, or familiar intercourse with him. Enthusiasm is founded neither on reason nor divine revelation, but rises from the conceits of a warmed or overweening imagination. Locke.
2. Heat of imagination; violent passion or excitement of the mind, in pursuit of some object, inspiring extravagant hope and confidence of success. Hence the same heat of imagination, chastised by reason or experience, becomes a noble passion, an elevated fancy, a warm imagination, an ardent zeal, that forms sublime ideas, and prompts to the ardent pursuit of laudable objects. Such is the enthusiasm of the poet, the orator, the painter and the sculptor. Such is the enthusiasm of the patriot, the hero and the Christian. Faction and enthusiasm are the instruments by which popular governments are destroyed. Ames.

EN-THU'SI-AST, n. [enthu'ziast; Gr. ενθουσιαστης.]

1. One who imagines he has special or supernatural converse with God, or special communications from him.
2. One whose imagination is warmed; one whose mind is highly excited with the love or in the pursuit of an object; a person of ardent zeal; as, an enthusiast in poetry or music.
3. One of elevated fancy or exalted ideas. Dryden.