v. Obs. Forms: 3–5 enter-, entreme(t)te(n, 3 entermitti, 4–5 entremet, 5 entre-, entromytte. Also 5 intremet, 6 intermete; and see INTERMIT, INTROMIT. [a. OF. entremetre (mod. entremettre), repr. two distinct Lat. formations, intermittĕre (cf. Sp. entermeter, It. intermettere) to interrupt, discontinue, in late L. also to put (something) between, and intrōmittĕre (cf. Sp. entrometer, It. intromettere) to send or admit within, introduce; f. inter between, intrō within + mittĕre to send. In ME. the word was adopted as refl. and intr. with sense ‘to introduce oneself, meddle’; in early mod. Eng. the sense ‘interpose (something, or oneself)’ was taken up from Fr., but rarely occurs. The verbs INTERMIT, INTROMIT, adapted from the original Lat. forms, were formerly often used in the senses of entremete, of which they may therefore to some extent be regarded as refashioned forms; now, however, they are used only in senses directly due to their Latin etymology.]
1. refl. To concern or occupy oneself, intermeddle, take part; to have dealings or intercourse. Const. in, of, with. Also, to set oneself, undertake to (do something).
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 172. Heo entermeteð hire of þinges wiðuten.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7403 (Cott.). O þe kingrike al gouerning He [Dauid] entir-mett him in na dede [Trin. MS. he entermeted him of no þing in dede]. Ibid., 8759. He [Salomon] can him entermet Þe temple mak.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 5949. She is neither so fool ne nyce, To entremete hir of sich vice.
1406. Hoccleve, Misrule, 440. Right wole eek, that I me entremete.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, III. xxix. (1869), 151. The hand … entermeteth hire to taste and to visite so ofte the tunge.
c. 1440. Hylton, Scala Perf. (W. de W., 1494), III. ix. To … intermette the with worldly besynes.
1485. Malory, Arthur, XVI. xv. Yf ye entermete [1634 intermit] yow in this I shall slee you.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xxiii. 87. All thartes and scyences magicque wherof this lady and prestresse entromytreteth [read entromytteth] herself.
c. 1500. Melusine, 69. That none of us shall entremete hym to doo that ye spek of.
1517. in Turner, Sel. Rec. Oxf., 17. All those that entremetyde them of merchantyse should be taxed.
b. intr. for refl.
a. 1300. Floriz & Bl., 204. Ne þer nis non so riche king Þat dorste entermeten of eni such þing.
c. 1300. Beket, 1253. Lete him iworthe so Than entermitti of holi churche.
a. 1420. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 1089. Our Lorde God wolde entermete Of no richesse.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. 145. To be forbode from entermeting with the Bible.
1467. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 404. That non seriaunt name nor entremet of the seid eleccion.
c. 1475. Partenay, 215. He … loue of al shal haue wher he entermet.
1485. Malory, Arthur, X. xxvi. The kyng … badde hym entermete [1634 intermeet] with hym self and with his wyf and of his knyghtes.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, 3. Yf ony man wyll enter-mete in redyng of hit. Ibid. (1491), Vitas Patr. (W. de W., 1495), 1. To entremete to recyte … suche hystoryes.
1494. Fabyan, VI. clxiv. 158. That nother ye one nor the other shulde intremet with the foresayd londes.
1548. Hall, Chron. (1809), 88. It longeth not to clerkes to intermete of them.
c. trans. To meddle with, be occupied upon. rare.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 161. My thought will entermete him.
1502. Arnolde, Chron. (1811), 38. Of him that entyrmeten the thyngis aboue sayd.
2. To mix, alternate.
c. 1530. in Pol. Rel. & Love Poems (1866), 43. Entirmet this with woo And gladnes.
3. To put (oneself) between.
a. 1541. Wyatt, Poems, in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 74. The hylles that doth them entermete Twene me, and those shene lightes.
Hence Entermeting vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
c. 1375. Sc. Lives Saints, Petrus, 311. Four concubynes he … gerte refuse þe entremetynge Forthir till have with Agrippine.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XI. 406. Ac for thine entermetyng here artow forsake.
c. 1400. Test. Love, III. (1560), 296 b/2. Thyne entremeting maners into stedfastnesse shallen be chaunged.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. xii. 220. We muste haue manye othere entermetingis with him than the entermeting of remembring oonli.
1583. T. Stocker, Trag. Hist. Civ. warres, II. 15. By the entermeetyng and intercession … of the Lordes here under named [etc.].
