{
    "term": "entertain",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "entertain",
            "heSheIt": "entertains"
        },
        "pastSimple": "entertained",
        "pastParticiple": "entertained",
        "ingForm": "entertaining"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to interest somebody or make somebody laugh in order to please them",
            "sensetop": "entertain somebody/yourselfentertain somebody/yourself with something",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The aim of the series is both to entertain and inform."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Afterwards live bands will entertain the crowd.",
                    "contextForm": "entertain somebody/yourself"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Parents can relax while the kids entertain themselves in the outdoor playground."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He entertained us for hours with his stories and jokes.",
                    "contextForm": "entertain somebody/yourself with something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They learned to entertain themselves with hobbies that required little or no money."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Films can entertain and educate, make you laugh or cry."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She entertained us with stories of her travels."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We hired a magician to keep the children entertained."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Two of the students kept the children entertained with a puppet show."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["thoroughly"],
                "preposition": ["with"],
                "phrases": [
                    "entertain and educate",
                    "entertain and enlighten",
                    "entertain and inform"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to invite people to eat or drink with you as your guests, especially in your home",
            "sensetop": "entertain somebodyentertain somebody to something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Do you entertain a lot?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The Bradfords always entertained lavishly at Christmas."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Barbecues are a favourite way of entertaining friends.",
                    "contextForm": "entertain somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They entertained us to lunch in their new house.",
                    "contextForm": "entertain somebody to something"
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["lavishly"],
                "preposition": ["to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to consider or allow yourself to think about an idea, a hope, a feeling, etc.",
            "sensetop": "entertain something",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He had entertained hopes of a reconciliation."
                },
                {
                    "text": "to entertain a doubt/suspicion"
                },
                {
                    "text": "briefly entertaining hopes that he might keep the affair a secret"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She would make no promises, but was prepared to entertain the idea."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I am amazed that such a crackpot scheme could be seriously entertained."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["seriously", "briefly"],
                "verb + entertain": ["be prepared to", "be willing to", "refuse to"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˌentəˈteɪn/",
                "audio": "en/entertain/entertain__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˌentəˈteɪnz/",
                "audio": "en/entertain/entertains__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˌentəˈteɪnd/",
                "audio": "en/entertain/entertained__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˌentəˈteɪnɪŋ/",
                "audio": "en/entertain/entertaining__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˌentərˈteɪn/",
                "audio": "en/entertain/entertain__us_3.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˌentərˈteɪnz/",
                "audio": "en/entertain/entertains__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˌentərˈteɪnd/",
                "audio": "en/entertain/entertained__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˌentərˈteɪnɪŋ/",
                "audio": "en/entertain/entertaining__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English: from French entretenir, based on Latin inter ‘among’ + tenere ‘to hold’. The word originally meant ‘ maintain, continue’, later ‘maintain in a certain condition, treat in a certain way’, also ‘show hospitality’ (late 15th cent.)."
}