regale
English
WOTD – 30 May 2007
Etymology
From French régaler (“to entertain, feast”), from Old French regale, rigale, from gale (“merriment”), probably of Germanic origin (see Old French galer). Influenced by Old French se rigoler (“amuse oneself, rejoice”), of unknown origin. Compare Middle High German begalen (“to charm; enchant”), English gale (“to sing; charm”). Compare also English gala.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɹɪˈɡeɪl/, /ɹəˈɡeɪl/
Audio (US) (file) Audio (AU) (file) - Rhymes: -eɪl
Translations
Verb
regale (third-person singular simple present regales, present participle regaling, simple past and past participle regaled)
- (transitive) To please or entertain (someone). [from 17th c.]
- 2014 June 26, A. A. Dowd, “Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler Spoof Rom-com Clichés in They Came Together”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 7 December 2017:
- You’ve Got Mail is certainly the basic model for the plot, which finds corporate candy shill Joel ([Paul] Rudd) and indie-sweetshop owner Molly ([Amy] Poehler) regaling their dinner companions with the very long, digressive story of how they met and fell in love.
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- (transitive) To provide hospitality for (someone); to supply with abundant food and drink. [from 17th c.]
- (obsolete, intransitive) To feast (on, with something). [17th-19th c.]
- 1723, Charles Walker, Memoirs of Sally Salisbury, V:
- she hardly lets a Week pass without making the Lady Abbess and her Nuns a Visit, to regale with a Cup of burnt Brandy.
- 1723, Charles Walker, Memoirs of Sally Salisbury, V:
- (figuratively, transitive) To entertain with something that delights; to gratify; to refresh.
- to regale the taste, the eye, or the ear
Translations
to please someone with entertainment
Latin
Adjective
rēgāle
References
- regale in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
Spanish
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