The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Entertain \En`ter*tain"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Entertained; p.
   pr. & vb. n. Entertaining.] [F. entretenir; entre between
   (L. inter) + tenir to hold, L. tenere. See Tenable.]
   1. To be at the charges of; to take or keep in one's service;
      to maintain; to support; to harbor; to keep.
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            You, sir, I entertain for one of my hundred. --Shak.
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   2. To give hospitable reception and maintenance to; to
      receive at one's board, or into one's house; to receive as
      a guest.
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            Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby
            some have entertained unawares.       --Heb. xiii.
                                                  2.
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   3. To engage the attention of agreeably; to amuse with that
      which makes the time pass pleasantly; to divert; as, to
      entertain friends with conversation, etc.
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            The weary time she can not entertain. --Shak.
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   4. To give reception to; to receive, in general; to receive
      and take into consideration; to admit, treat, or make use
      of; as, to entertain a proposal.
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            I am not here going to entertain so large a theme as
            the philosophy of Locke.              --De Quincey.
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            A rumor gained ground, -- and, however absurd, was
            entertained by some very sensible people.
                                                  --Hawthorne.
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   5. To meet or encounter, as an enemy. [Obs.] --Shak.
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   6. To keep, hold, or maintain in the mind with favor; to keep
      in the mind; to harbor; to cherish; as, to entertain
      sentiments.
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   7. To lead on; to bring along; to introduce. [Obs.]
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            To baptize all nations, and entertain them into the
            services institutions of the holy Jesus. --Jer.
                                                  Taylor.

   Syn: To amuse; divert; maintain. See Amuse.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Entertain \En`ter*tain"\, v. i.
   To receive, or provide entertainment for, guests; as, he
   entertains generously.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Entertain \En`ter*tain"\, n. [Cf. F. entretien, fr. entretenir.]
   Entertainment. [Obs.] --Spenser.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

entertain
    v 1: provide entertainment for
    2: take into consideration, have in view; "He entertained the
       notion of moving to South America" [syn: entertain, think
       of, toy with, flirt with, think about]
    3: maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings); "bear a grudge";
       "entertain interesting notions"; "harbor a resentment" [syn:
       harbor, harbour, hold, entertain, nurse]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

100 Moby Thesaurus words for "entertain":
   accommodate, admit, allow, amuse, amusement, bear, beguile, bestow,
   billet, board, bosom, cater to, cherish, cling to, clip, consider,
   contemplate, convulse, cultivate, delight, disport, dissipation,
   distraction, diversion, divert, divertissement, do the honors,
   domicile, embosom, embrace, enjoyment, enliven, entertain guests,
   entertainment, exhilarate, feed, fondle, foster, fracture one,
   gaiety, give a party, gladden, gratify, guest, harbor, have,
   have and hold, hold, hold on to, host, house, hug, inquire into,
   invite, keep, kill, knock dead, lodge, loosen up, maintain,
   nourish, nurse, nurture, occupy, play, please, pleasure, preside,
   put up, quarter, raise a laugh, raise a smile, receive, recreate,
   recreation, refresh, regale, rejoice, relax, relaxation, relief,
   room, see about, slay, sleep upon, solace, sport, support, sustain,
   take under advisement, take under consideration, think it over,
   throw a party, tickle, titillate, tolerate, treasure, treasure up,
   treat, wow



Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:

Entertain
   Entertainments, "feasts," were sometimes connected with a public
   festival (Deut. 16:11, 14), and accompanied by offerings (1 Sam.
   9:13), in token of alliances (Gen. 26:30); sometimes in
   connection with domestic or social events, as at the weaning of
   children (Gen. 21:8), at weddings (Gen. 29:22; John 2:1), on
   birth-days (Matt. 14:6), at the time of sheep-shearing (2 Sam.
   13:23), and of vintage (Judg. 9:27), and at funerals (2 Sam.
   3:35; Jer. 16:7).

     The guests were invited by servants (Prov. 9:3; Matt. 22:3),
   who assigned them their respective places (1 Sam. 9:22; Luke
   14:8; Mark 12:39). Like portions were sent by the master to each
   guest (1 Sam. 1:4; 2 Sam. 6:19), except when special honour was
   intended, when the portion was increased (Gen. 43:34).

     The Israelites were forbidden to attend heathenish sacrificial
   entertainments (Ex. 34:15), because these were in honour of
   false gods, and because at such feast they would be liable to
   partake of unclean flesh (1 Cor. 10:28).

     In the entertainments common in apostolic times among the
   Gentiles were frequent "revellings," against which Christians
   were warned (Rom. 13:13; Gal. 5:21; 1 Pet. 4:3). (See BANQUET.)