See Also: Amusement(medicine)
amusement(dictionary)
amusement(dictionary)
amusement arcade(dictionary)
amusement park(dictionary)

amusement (iou)



amusement noun. E17.
[French, formed as AMUSE: see -MENT.]
Musing; mental abstraction. E17-E18.
Distraction or diversion of the attention; beguiling, deception; an instance of this. arch. E17.
Distracting bewilderment. M-L17.
A pastime; a means of recreation; something amusing. (Orig. depreciative.) M17.
J. H. Newman To take..pleasure in our families rather than to seek amusements out of doors. V. Welburn Roll-up, roll-up...Amusements...Candy-floss...Roundabouts.
Pleasurable occupation of the attention without seriousness; (orig., idle time-wasting) entertainment, recreation; the causing of laughter or smiles; humour aroused by something droll or grotesque. L17.
Pope Amusement is the happiness of those that cannot think. Coleridge The same craving for amusement, i.e. to be away from the Muses for relaxation. G. Greene His old Italian face showed few emotions but a mild amusement. A. J. P. Taylor Lloyd George derived a malicious amusement from the way in which the spokesmen of these two democratic countries..defied Wilson. S. Hill To the amusement of her mother and sisters. T. Stoppard A little team I run, mainly for our own amusement.
Comb.: amusement arcade a place for recreation containing automatic game-playing machines, etc.