entertainment

noun

Etymology: From Middle English entretenement (“support, maintenance”), from Old French entretenement; see entertain. Morphologically entertain + -ment.

1. An activity designed to give pleasure, enjoyment, diversion, amusement, or relaxation to an audience, no matter whether the audience participates passively as in watching opera or a movie, or actively as in games.

   “The delinquents are generally the adventurous type, who have little use for reading and other non-active entertainment.”

   “Such abundance must be laid out on superfluous recreations, buildings, ornaments, furniture, equipage, attendants, entertainments, visitations, braveries, and a world of need-nots […]”

2. A show put on for the enjoyment or amusement of others.
3. Maintenance or support.

   “"This," said the matronly presence, ushering me into a low room on the right, "is where the Travellers sit by the fire, and cook what bits of suppers they buy with their fourpences." "O! Then they have no Entertainment?" said I. For the inscription over the outer door was still running in my head, and I was mentally repeating, in a kind of tune, "Lodging, entertainment, and fourpence each."”

4. An admission into service; a service.

   “He must think us some band of strangers i' the adversary's entertainment.”

5. The payment of soldiers or servants; wages.

   “The entertainment of the general upon his first arrival was but six shillings and eight pence.”

6. A reception; a (provision of) food to guests or travellers.

   “I prithee, shepherd, if that love or gold Can in this desert place buy entertainment, Bring us where we may rest ourselves and feed.”

   “Tho’ they cut [the beef] into long Pieces, (like Ropes) with the Hide; and dress’d, and eat it half-roasted according to their Custom, and gave it me in the same Manner; yet I thought this contemptible Food, and what a Beggar in England would not have touch’d, the most delicious Entertainment I ever met with.”