entrance

Etymology 1

From Middle French entrance (“entry”). Replaced native Middle English ingang (“entrance, admission”), from Old English ingang (“ingress, entry, entrance”).

noun

1. (countable) The action of entering, or going in.
   Her entrance attracted no attention whatsoever.
2. The act of taking possession, as of property, or of office.
   the entrance of an heir upon his inheritance, or of a magistrate into office
3. (countable) The place of entering, as a gate or doorway.
   ‘It was called the wickedest street in London and the entrance was just here. I imagine the mouth of the road lay between this lamp standard and the second from the next down there.’ 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 1, in The China Governess
   Place your bag by the entrance so that you can find it easily.
4. (uncountable) The right to go in.
   You'll need a ticket to gain entrance to the museum.
   to give entrance to friends
5. The entering upon; the beginning, or that with which the beginning is made; the commencement; initiation.
   a difficult entrance into business
   in the entrance of the history of this great patriarch 1794, Henry Hunter, Sacred Biography
6. The causing to be entered upon a register, as a ship or goods, at a customhouse; an entering.
   His entrance of the arrival was made the same day.
7. (nautical) The angle which the bow of a vessel makes with the water at the water line.
   A coarse-lined ship, fig. 4, has an angle of entrance of about 40 deg., measured at the load-water line; while a fine-lined ship has only about half that angle. 1899, Practical Engineer - Volumes 19-20, page 197
   At low , say 9 knots for a 400-ft. ship, 60 deg. entrance angle (side to side) can be accepted. 1919, Shipbuilding and Shipping Record - Volume 13, page 667
   This bulb therefore creates a greater wave but has a higher form resistance as the waterlines have larger entrance angles. 2018, A. Marinò, V. Bucci, Technology and Science for the Ships of the Future, page 788
8. (nautical) The bow, or entire wedgelike forepart of a vessel, below the water line.
   She [the Albemarle] has a bold entrance, and clean run. 1781, Horatio Nelson, Diary
9. (music) The beginning of a musician's playing or singing; entry.

Etymology 2

From en- + trance (“daze”).

verb

1. (transitive) To delight and fill with wonder.
   The children were immediately entranced by all the balloons.
   See the finest girl in France make an entrance to entrance... 1996, Tab Murphy, Irene Mecchi, Bob Tzudiker, Noni White, and Jonathan Roberts, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (film)
2. (transitive) To put into a trance.