Crossword clues for fascinate
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Fascinate \Fas"ci*nate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fascinated, p. pr. & vb. n.. Fascinating.] [L. fascinare; cf. Gr. ?????????? to slander, bewitch.]
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To influence in an uncontrollable manner; to operate on by some powerful or irresistible charm; to bewitch; to enchant.
It has been almost universally believed that . . . serpents can stupefy and fascinate the prey which they are desirous to obtain.
--Griffith (Cuvier). -
To excite and allure irresistibly or powerfully; to charm; to captivate, as by physical or mental charms.
There be none of the passions that have been noted to fascinate or bewitch but love and envy.
--Bacon.Syn: To charm; enrapture; captivate; enchant; bewitch; attract.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1590s, "bewitch, enchant," from Middle French fasciner (14c.), from Latin fascinatus, past participle of fascinare "bewitch, enchant, fascinate," from fascinus "a charm, enchantment, spell, witchcraft," which is of uncertain origin. Earliest used of witches and of serpents, who were said to be able to cast a spell by a look that rendered one unable to move or resist. Sense of "delight, attract and hold the attention of" is first recorded 1815.\n\nTo fascinate is to bring under a spell, as by the power of the eye; to enchant and to charm are to bring under a spell by some more subtle and mysterious power.
[Century Dictionary]
\nPossibly from Greek baskanos "slander, envy, malice," later "witchcraft, sorcerery," with form influenced by Latin fari "speak" (see fame (n.)), but others say the resemblance of the Latin and Greek words is accidental. The Greek word might be from a Thracian equivalent of Greek phaskein "to say;" compare enchant, and German besprechen "to charm," from sprechen "to speak." Watkins suggests the Latin word is perhaps from PIE *bhasko- "band, bundle" via a connecting sense of "amulet in the form of a phallus" (compare Latin fascinum "human penis; artificial phallus; dildo"). Related: Fascinated; fascinating.\n\nIf [baskanos] and fascinum are indeed related, they would point to a meaning 'curse, spell' in a loanword from an unknown third language.[de Vaan]
Wiktionary
vb. 1 To evoke an intense interest or attraction in someone 2 To make someone hold motionless; to spellbind 3 To be irresistibly charming or attractive to
WordNet
v. cause to be interested or curious [syn: intrigue]
to render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing terror or awe; "The snake charmer fascinates the cobra" [syn: transfix, grip, spellbind]
attract; cause to be enamored; "She captured all the men's hearts" [syn: capture, enamour, trance, catch, becharm, enamor, captivate, beguile, charm, bewitch, entrance, enchant]
Wikipedia
Fascinate is a graffiti painting at an industrial park in Bromsten, Stockholm.
Fascinate was created by Circle and Tarik ( Tarik Saleh), then 17 years old, in 1989 and was then the largest graffiti painting in northern Europe. It is painted on an outside wall of an industrial building and was made with consent from the property owner. Fascinate is one of the world's oldest still existing graffiti paintings.
In 1989 graffiti was a relatively new phenomenon in Sweden. The worn-out industrial area is now to be demolished and replaced with a residential area. A discussion took place about possible protection of Fascinate as the Stockholm City Museum considered it culturally valuable. In 2008, however, the center-right majority in the city planning committee decided that the painting should not be maintained, referring to the city's graffiti policy, which says that the city should not "participate in activities that in any way encourages graffiti".
After a period of uncertainty regarding the future of Fascinate, the wall became the first graffiti work in Sweden to be officially protected in 2015. The rest of the building is to be demolished and the area around the wall transformed into a park.
Usage examples of "fascinate".
I was, therefore, obliged to give it up, as you may imagine, but I own I went away with rather a heavy heart, for the horse had looked at me affectionately, had rubbed his head against me and, when I mounted him, had pranced in the most delightful way imaginable, so that I was altogether fascinated with him.
Written by Roy Thomas with digitally recoloured art by Barry Windsor-Smith, Gil Kane and others, each book contained a fascinating Afterword by Thomas talking about the history of the original series.
Roy Thomas with digitally recoloured art by Barry Windsor-Smith, Gil Kane and others, each book contained a fascinating Afterword by Thomas talking about the history of the original series.
Appalled but fascinated by the bound feet of her amah and other Chinese women, she understood, even as a child, that this barbaric custom symbolized male supremacy.
Sociology, which the anchorite said she read more for amusement than insight, but which Cale found fascinating for the descriptions of large numbers of people living together in cities on different worlds.
Even Hollywood scriptwriters and apolitical actors were fascinated by the dramatic pace and structure of the hearings.
Granice stood up, and went to lean against the mantel-piece, looking down at Ascham, who had not moved from his seat, or changed his attitude of rigid fascinated attention.
To the new and fascinating duties of his chosen profession he at once devoted himself with such ardor as to draw favorable comment from his superiors.
She had hated the way Benet had looked, so intently, so fascinated, at Mervion, as they had been introduced at the great state dinner, but she was desperately sure that her loyalty to her beloved should be above such petty jealousies, that he should be warned.
Quite as fascinating as the toggle box was a dark, slender, and by Betan law very illegal little needle gun.
There were no Regency bucks there tonight, however, just a couple of dozen ageing rockers with a fascinating array of bimbettes on their knees, arms or various other parts of their anatomy.
Rather than being filled with worries about her surroundings, her mind buzzed with thoughts of the often puzzling, sometimes frustrating, yet always fascinating Blu Cahill.
The groom on the box was still clasping the blunderbuss, and staring fascinated at the tumbled figure in the road.
It may sound simplistic when you break it down to its basics, but there is a symmetry and tradition to bocce that makes it fascinating.
The cellar of the Haunted Bookshop was, to Bock, a fascinating place, illuminated by a warm glow from the furnace, and piled high with split packing-cases which Roger used as kindling.