Main Entry: en·ter

Pronunciation: \ˈen-tər\

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): en·tered; en·ter·ing \ˈen-t(ə-)riŋ\

Etymology: Middle English entren, from Anglo-French entrer, from Latin intrare, from intra within; akin to Latin inter between — more at inter-

Date: 13th century

intransitive verb 1 : to go or come in
2 : to come or gain admission into a group : join —often used with into
3 a : to make a beginning <entering upon a career> b : to begin to consider a subject —usually used with into or upon
4 : to go upon land for the purpose of taking possession
5 a : to come onstage —usually used in the subjunctive as a stage direction <enter Hamlet reading> b : to come into a preestablished situation or context like an actor coming onstage —usually used in the subjunctive <enter the new principal with her radical ideas>
6 : to play a part : be a factor <other considerations enter when money is involved>transitive verb 1 : to come or go into <enter a room>
2 : inscribe, register <enter the names of qualified voters>
3 : to cause to be received or admitted <enter a child at a school>
4 : to put in : insert <enter the new data into the computer>
5 a : to make a beginning in <enter politics> b : to go into (a particular period of time) <enter middle age>
6 : to become a member of or an active participant in <enter the university> <enter a race>
7 : to make report of (a ship or its cargo) to customs authorities
8 : to place in proper form before a court of law or upon record <enter a writ>
9 : to go into or upon and take actual possession of (as land)
10 : to put formally on record <entering a complaint>

— en·ter·able \ˈen-t(ə-)rə-bəl\ adjective

— enter into 1 : to make oneself a party to or in <enter into an agreement>
2 : to form or be part of <your prejudices shouldn't enter into it>
3 : to participate or share in <enter into the spirit of the occasion>

— enter the lists : to engage in a fight or struggle

synonyms enter, penetrate, pierce, probe mean to make way into something. enter is the most general of these and may imply either going in or forcing a way in <entered the city in triumph>. penetrate carries a strong implication of an impelling force or compelling power that achieves entrance <the enemy penetrated the fortress>. pierce means an entering or cutting through with a sharp pointed instrument <pierced the boil with a lancet>. probe implies penetration to investigate or explore something hidden from sight or knowledge <probed the depths of the sea>.