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fascinate

fas·ci·nate

UK/ˈfæsɪneɪt/ US/ˈfæsʌˌneɪt/ uncommon

verb

1.

cause to be interested or curious

Synonyms
2.

to render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing terror or awe

  • “The snake charmer fascinates the cobra”
Synonyms
3.

Origin

Borrowed from Latin fascinātus, perfect passive participle of fascinō (“to enchant, bewitch, fascinate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from fascinum (“a phallus-shaped amulet worn around the neck in Ancient Rome; witchcraft”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix), itself of obscure origin.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.