Disport
Verb
Etymology: from Old French desporter (= to divert, please), which is analysable into des- (prefix with semantic implication of “apart” or “away”, from latin dis-) + porter (= to bear). Porter is a derived from Latin portare (= to bear).
Third-person singular simple present: she/he disports
Indicative past, past participle: disported
Present participle: disporting
Transitively: to divert (an animated being) from sadness, ennui, or the like. This use is obsolete.
Reflexively: to behave sportively, as if to distract one’s mind from what is unpleasant; to perform an action, only for pleasure
Synonyms: to cheer oneself, divert onself, amuse oneself, enjoy oneself, to comport oneself, exult, sport
It may be approximately translated by divertirse, in Spanish; divertirsi, in Italian; se divertir, in French.
Antonyms: to mope, hurt oneself, afflict oneself, trouble oneself
[…] the princess would bid her guard of bowmen retire to a distance, to insure her from approach; and while her ladies and pages disported themselves in the forest, would proceed onwards with her two favourite companions […]
Grace Frances (The Courtier)
[…] in the immediately preceding period, when the sub-tropical elephant, rhinoceros, and hippopotamus, disported themselves in the lignite woods of Middle Europe, have traces of mankind been found.
Popular Science, 1873
Numberless water-fowls, including geese, ducks of various kinds, several varieties of water-hens and ibises, disported themselves in its icy waters, or flew away, screaming, on our approach.
George Squier (Peru)
The cold had driven away the lively little colony of bees, birds, and butterflies which have been seen disporting themselves about the bright white cauldron.
Richard F. Burton (A Personal Narrative)
***With the preposition with, followed either by a noun or a gerund, designative of what is used to be sportive:
The public-house—the mere bar, at least—has no charms for them; but almost all the low coffee-shops you pass are crowded with young Jews, playing dominoes and draughts; while in the publics, where tap-rooms are attached, their elders disport themselves with cards, bagatelle, and the excitement of a sing-song meeting.
George Augustus Sala (Gaslight and Daylight)
He that purposes to disport himself with killing doves, and other birds perched upon trees, must have bolts all of equal weight.
George Hansard (The book of archery)
Intransitively: to behave sportively, as if to distract one’s mind from what is unpleasant; to perform an action, with the only purpose of enjoying
[…] we disported in the water.
John Stepney (leaves from the diary)
The inside of the spacious chimney was the curing-place for hams and other joints, and across it was a small oaken beam, from which the pot-crook was suspended, and on which the rats were accustomed to disport, and annoy the inmates by the soot they displaced.
Royal Agricultural Society of England
[…] the mind disports with different objects and forms, by an assemblage of thoughts and sensations.
[…] she was disporting into an elaborate ridicule of some honest gentleman […]
Theodore hook (Cousin William)
