Did you
know?

entice
verb

- to persuade someone to do something by offering them something pleasant

enticement
noun

(Cambridge Dictionaries)

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Entice is from the Old French "enticier," (to stir up, excite, incite) and perhaps further from the Vulgar Latin "intitiare," to set on fire (in = in + titio = firebrand). The sense of to allure or attract is from the 13th century.

Although the word "entice" has been around since the 13th century, the concept itself is as old as beginning the time (depending on whether you believe in the theory of evolution or creation). According to the Bible, Eve was enticed by sin in the form of an apple from the forbidden tree. Those familiar with the Bible know the rest of the story.

When it comes to nature in general, enticement is a key element in the propagation of the various species - animals and humans. The mating dance, as it is sometimes called, is prevalent in many forms, some of which appear to us as quite amusing:

- Male bowerbirds collect all sorts of trinkets — such as plastic rings, shiny tinfoil, and snail shells — to woo females into their elaborate bachelor pads.

- Male hooded seals can inflate their uniquely elastic nasal cavities and membranes into what looks like a pink balloon in an effort to impress the females.

- The male manakin, a bird found in South America, performs a dance that looks exactly like the Michael Jackson moonwalk!

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SYNONYMS

attract, beguile, coax, seduce, tempt, bait, draw, lure, allure, persuade

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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation

"Beware of financial advisors who seek to entice you with quick riches."