/entice/

 

/entice/

Verb.

-) Pronunciation and accent: ɛntaɪs.

-) Etymology: from Old French enticier. The etymological value was maybe “to add fuel to a fire”, if we concede that it is derived from a hypothetic Latin intitiare, which is analyzed in in- + titius (instead of titio), Latin word for firebrand.

-) Third-person singular simple present: she/he entices.

-) Preterite tense, preterite participle: enticed.

-) Present participle: enticing.

-) It is dated from the end of 1200.

Transitively: 1. Obsolete acceptation: to instigate (someone) to an action.

2. (The subject: a person) to attempt to cause (an animated being) to go or come (to, from some place) by the offer of something pleasurable or advantageous, or by other means of persuasion; this is, to induce to go or come (to, from a place) by persuasion.

-) Antonyms of the verb entice: to compel, to warn off.

-) Translation: allettare, in Italian; attirer, in French; atraer, in Spanish.

The bait which is used to entice the beavers is prepared from the substance called castor.

Oliver Goldsmith… A history of the earth… 1822

[…] we endeavoured to entice it [the dog] within our reach by throwing some food; but the animal, upon discovering that we were strangers, became shy.

Phillip Parker… Narrative of a survey… 1826

I had not been two days on board, when the youngsters proposed a walk into the main top. I mounted the rigging with perfect confidence, for I was always a good climber; but I had not proceeded far, when I was overtaken by the captain of the top and another man, who, without any ceremony or preface, seized me by each arm, and very deliberately lashed me fast in the rigging. They laughed at my remonstrance […]. I looked down to the quarter-deck for assistance, but every one there was laughing at me and even the very little rogues of midshipmen who had enticed me up were enjoying the joke.

Frederick Marryat… Frank Mildmay 1829

[…] with a bait sometimes affixed to the point of the weapon as a lure to entice the fish within reach.

William Jardine… The natural history of fishes 1835

-) With the prepositions to or into + noun of the place where the enticer wants someone to be:

I have already informed the courteous reader that Olympus was […] located in a swampy hollow—and that for some time before my arrival there it had ceased, as the settlers said, to progress.  No new inhabitants came, and many of those who had been enticed to it at the commencement of the settlement, were then talking of changing.

John Galt… Lawrie Todd 1830

After their meal the work was renewed; Mr. Seagrave collected the branches while William and Ready worked upon the sides and roof, and before the evening closed in, the fowl-house was complete. William enticed the fowls down to it with some more split peas, and then walked away.

Captain Marryat… Masterman Ready 1841

[…] I did not rush out of the house at once, on the occasion when Mrs A. enticed me into her bedroom in the attics, and there exhibited a chestful of the most extraordinary and suspicious splendours.

Chamber’s Edinburgh journal 1857

No sooner had Mr. Milsom established himself at Raynham, than he made it his business to find out the exact state of affairs at the castle. He contrived to entice one of the under-servants into his bar-parlour, and entertained the man so liberally, with a smoking jorum of strong rum-punch, that a friendly acquaintance was established between the two on the spot. 

Elizabeth Braddon… Run to earth 1860

[…] she enticed him to a place where the grass in former years had grown rank, and as soon as he lay down she cautioned him to be quiet during her enforced absence, and though he was a very young calf he remembered and trusted in her.

Andy Adams… Cattle Brands 1934

-) With the preposition towards (intended direction):

He advances to the bull, in order to entice him towards him.

Richard Ford… Gatherings from Spain 1846

A fat, unwieldy little Dutch pug then appeared, […] it was adorned with what had been once a blue ribbon. I enticed it towards me, patted it, it snapped at my fingers, but I pronounced it “a little pet”, and was rewarded by detailed encomia from its owner, of its extreme value, as a house-dog, from its excessive sharpness.

A tale of Old Ireland 1839

-) With the adverb away, to signify that the enticer wishes someone away:

And now, lest my good resolutions should continue, my companion, who had enticed me away, comes to me; "Well, Bob," says he, clapping me upon the shoulder, "how do you do after it?

Daniel Defoe… Robinson Crusoe 1719

They approached the crowned child, and with many sorts of playthings enticed him away, to have him in their power.

Walter Pater… Greek Studies 1894

-) With the adverb down, back, here, or there (intended direction):

Between you and I, it’s my opinion the duke has enticed her here under false pretences.

John Payne… Clari 1823

It is to be regretted, that the court of Rome, […] interposed its authority to check the […] Spalatro in his scientific career; compelled him first to take refuge in England, and subsequently, having enticed him back to Rome, shut him up in the castle […]

Thomas Morell… Elements of the history… 1827

A favourite dog had started a hare, which took refuge in this hitherto unexplored domain. The dog followed it; and Sandy, having waited for some time for its reappearance in vain, tried to entice it back by whistling and calling.

H. Jones… The Scottish Chieftains 1831

In the tops of the trees were concealed an army of black warriors, well armed with spears, slings, and war-clubs. They shouted; we replied, and entered into a parley, exhibiting various valuable trinkets, to entice them down.

Jefferson Jacobs… Adventures in the Pacific Ocean 1844

Do you refuse? For what, then, have you brought me here? You knew our terms yesterday; and that all your propositions were rejected. Do you entice me here alone for single combat?

Washington Irving… The Works… 1849

[…] if you need to lock the chickens up every night to protect them from predators, feeding them in the coop in the evening will entice them there.

Kimberly Willis… Raising Chickens for Dummies 2009

-) With the adverb out, to signify that the enticer wishes someone out:

I was disposed to be very angry with the boatmen for having, as indeed I thought they had, deceived me in the state of the weather, and enticed me out when the sea was so violently agitated.

Anne Plumptre… A residence in Ireland… 1817

[…] an Englishman was shot by an arrow at the door of his house, early in the evening. The Indians enticed him out by making a noise near by.

Charles Wilkes… Narrative of the United States… 1844

-) With the adverb off, to signify that the enticer wishes someone off:

Not long ago, in the city of Boston, we believe, there was a “highly-respectable” young lady, […] who absconded from her father’s house, to become the bride of a negro scoundrel, who enticed her off.

Debow’s review, vol. 10 1851

-) With the preposition off, or from:

“I remember her well,” replied her friend, “as also the happy man destined for her spouse, and whom it was suspected enticed her from her sister’s house, to accompany him to his native land.

Zara Wentworth… The force of bigotry 1825

[I] removed the couple into a large breeding cage, where they soon commenced building a nest, and a more affectionate pair I never saw, he serenaded his mate with his curious song, fed her on the nest with the greatest attention and tenderness, and often enticed her off the nest for exercise and immediately took her seat on the eggs until her return.

Joseph Paxton… The Horticultural register 1833

The captain manned the boat with an armed crew and started in pursuit of the canoes, which retreated to one of the small islands near the main, and, scampering over the beach, the natives hid themselves in the bushes, from the covert of which we found it impossible to entice them.

Thomas Jacobs… Adventures in the Pacific Ocean 1844

[I] wrote that letter to entice you from home.

Forester Fitz-David… Alice Littleton 1859

I will not entice you from your husband!

George Reynolds… The mysteries of the court… 1869

The rook entices its young from the breeding trees, as soon as they can flutter to any other.

John Knapp… The journal of a naturalist 1829

3. (The subject: a thing) to be so attractive as to cause (someone) to come (to some place). 

The plenty of this Island enticed beggars to it, who seemed so burdensome to the inhabitants, that a formal compact was drawn up, by which they obliged themselves to grant no more relief to casual wanderers […]

Samuel Johnson… A Journey… 1775

The delightfully warm weather […] enticed me out of doors.

William Mavor… Collection of voyages… 1809

During our journey we saw small herds of deer and antelopes, doubtless enticed to the water-courses by the recent rains.

Frederick Marryat… Monsieur Violet 1843

4. (The subject: a person) to induce (an animated being) to do something by the offer of something pleasurable or advantageous, or by other means of persuasion.

-) Synonyms for entice: to court (someone) to do something, draw, seduce, persuade, allure, coax, seduce, inveigle, incite, prevail on.

-) Antonyms of entice: to deter, discourage, daunt, dissuade.

-) Translation: allettare, in Italian; inciter, in French; inducir, in Spanish.

I get out of bed and undress while he watches. He must stand at attention and not move while I entice him. When I am nude, I come over to him and caress him and rub my body against him, but he must remain at attention.

Nancy Friday… Forbidden flowers 1975

-) With the preposition into + a noun or a gerund:

[…] it is he who has enticed the sons of Latimer and Fitzhugh into the revolt, and resigned his own command to the martial cunning of Sir John Coniers.

Edward Bulwer-Lytton… The Last of the Barons 1843

He must not allow himself to be enticed into any flirtation whatever, beyond a glance or a smile.

Susan Cooper… Elinor Wyllys 1845

His figures, naturally enormous, were carefully magnified by him into ludicrous proportions on the black-board at the school, lest the hinder row of his class should be unable to read them. His pupils, amused at their gigantic size, affected not to be able to distinguish them clearly, in order to entice him into caricaturing his caricatures.

Quarterly Review 1855

At this point a grave controversy on work might have arisen, but the children, caring little for conversation, broke into so tumultuous play that talk could not be proceeded with. Mary was enticed into a game composed in part of pussy-four-corners and tip-an-tig.

James Stephens… The Charwoman’s Daughter 1912

-) With the preposition to + a noun or an infinitive designative of the action or practice that the enticer expects to be done by the allured person:

There was this difference between Augustus Tomlinson and Long Ned, —Ned was the acting knave, Augustus the reasoning one; and we may see therefore, by a little reflection, that Tomlinson was a far more perilous companion than Pepper, —for showy theories are always more seductive to the young and clever than suasive examples, and the vanity of the youthful makes them better pleased by being convinced of a thing than by being enticed to it.

Edward Bulwer-Lytton… Paul Clifford 1830

[…] he tried to entice Mr. Wickfield to drink.

Charles Dickens… David Copperfield 1850

Take courage, my dear little guest; Zee can't compel you to marry her. She can only entice you to do so. Don't be enticed.

Edward Lytton… The Coming Race 1871

Entering the saloon, there sat about twenty women, with boots and stockings on, otherwise naked as born — for those who had gauze about them threw it off directly I was seen. — Some lifting up a thigh, some pulling their quims open […] Sitting close together as they in the circle were, each tried to entice me to select her for my pleasure in erotic amusements.

Walter… My secret life 1888

-) With the preposition with (the thing offered as pleasurable or advantageous):

The very first sexually related experience I remember was of a homosexual nature. When I was four or five, an older neighbor girl once enticed me with an offer of money to remove my panties and pull up my skirt in her presence. This experience was purely exhibitory, as there was no bodily contact between us.

Floyd Martinson… Infant and child sexuality 1973

5. (The subject: a thing) a. To be attractive to (someone) b. To be so attractive as to induce (someone) to do something.

"There's something on your mind," Florimel went on, partly from willingness to serve Mrs Stewart, partly enticed by the romance of being Malcolm's comforter, or perhaps confessor.

George MacDonald… Malcolm 1879

We went to a small ball, which my uncle and other cousin had not accepted. Hannah's white shoulders and breasts enticed me.

Walter… My secret life 1888

Not the city only, but the whole country round about it, would appear to be an inexhaustible mine of antiquarian treasure; and whether the traveller visits it for the first or for the ninety-ninth time, he may find a thousand novelties to delight him, and entice him to a protracted sojourn.

Thomas Bacon… The oriental Annual 1840

-) English words derived from entice: re-entice, enticer, enticement, enticing, enticingly.