amusement

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Old French a- Old French muser Old French amuser Middle French amuser Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Old French -ment Middle French -ment Middle French amusementbor. English amusement Borrowed from Middle French amusement, from amuser + -ment. Morphologically amuse + -ment.

1. Entertainment.

   “To my great amusement, the dog kept on chasing its tail and yelped when it bit it.”

   “This is some form of amusement you're talking about.”

2. An activity that is entertaining or amusing, such as dancing, gunning, or fishing.

   “"What a charming amusement for young people this is, Mr. Darcy! There is nothing like dancing after all. I consider it as one of the first refinements of polished society."”

   “His chief amusements were gunning and fishing, or sauntering along the beach and through the myrtles, in quest of shells or entomological specimens--his collection of the latter might have been envied by a Swammerdamm.”